ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s latest attempt to extend its so-called “sovereignty” over parts of the Occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, through a draft law introduced in its legislature.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan said such actions represent a blatant violation of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
The ministry emphasized that these provocative and unlawful measures threaten ongoing efforts to promote peace and stability in the region. Pakistan called on the international community to take urgent and decisive steps to stop these illegal actions and to hold the Israeli occupying forces accountable for their continuous violations of international law.
Reaffirming its steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause, Pakistan expressed its determination to work with regional and international partners to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.
The statement reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
UN human rights expert Francesca Albanese, a day ago, criticized the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan as “insufficient to address a genocide of the Palestinian people by the United States and Israel.”
Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the plan “fails to comply with international law” and called for an end to “occupation, exploitation of Palestinian resources, and colonization.” She described the situation as “not a war, but a genocide aimed at destroying a people,” while noting she does not speak on behalf of the UN.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as UN investigators, have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza—a claim Israel has rejected as “false and antisemitic.”
Speaking from South Africa, which has filed the genocide case against Israel, Albanese said both the U.S. and Israel were “driving the collapse of the multilateral system” by undermining justice and accountability, citing U.S. sanctions on four ICC judges.
She argued that recent discussions about a two-state solution are a “pretense of action” and that the immediate focus should be stopping the genocide. Albanese urged UN member states to sever ties with Israel, stressing that nations maintaining diplomatic, economic, political, or military relations with Israel “bear responsibility to some extent” for its actions.
International Court of Justice
A day ago, the United Nations’ top judicial body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its ‘advisory opinion’ stated that Israel is obligated to ensure the basic needs of Gaza’s civilian population are met.
The 11-judge panel further ruled that Israel must facilitate and support relief operations conducted by UN agencies in the Gaza Strip, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The judges noted that Israel had not provided evidence to substantiate its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees were affiliated with Hamas.
The ICJ emphasized that Israel must allow the smooth delivery of aid into Gaza and guarantee Palestinians access to essential supplies for survival. The ruling came as humanitarian organizations rushed to scale up assistance during a fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month.
Although the ICJ’s advisory opinion is not legally binding, the court maintained that it carries “significant legal weight and moral authority.”
Israel declined to participate in the proceedings, with an official dismissing the case as “an abuse of international law.” The official added that while Israel cooperates with other UN agencies regarding Gaza, it “will not cooperate with UNRWA.”
ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa rejected claims that the proceedings constituted an abuse or weaponization of the international judicial process.
On the eve of the ruling, Abeer Etefa, Middle East spokeswoman for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said that 530 WFP trucks had entered Gaza since the ceasefire, delivering over 6,700 tonnes of food—enough for about half a million people for two weeks. She added that about 750 tonnes of aid were entering daily, still well below the WFP’s target of 2,000 tonnes per day.
The ICJ reiterated that, as an occupying power, Israel is obligated to ensure the population’s access to essential supplies for survival and must not obstruct their delivery. The court also recalled the prohibition under international law against using starvation as a method of warfare.
The UN requested the ICJ’s opinion to clarify Israel’s obligations as an occupying power, including the duty to ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of life-saving aid to Palestinians.
During the April hearings, dozens of countries and organizations presented evidence, much of it concerning UNRWA’s role. A U.S. representative raised “serious concerns” over UNRWA’s neutrality and alleged Hamas’s use of its facilities, arguing that Israel was under no obligation to permit UNRWA specifically to provide aid. However, the ICJ noted that UNRWA “cannot be replaced on short notice without a proper transition plan.”
Palestinian representative Ammar Hijazi accused Israel of using aid restrictions as a “weapon of war,” exacerbating starvation in Gaza.
This case is separate from other ongoing international proceedings concerning Israel’s actions in Gaza. In July 2024, the ICJ issued another advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories “unlawful” and calling for its immediate end.
The court is also considering South Africa’s case alleging that Israel violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
