Pakistan calls for accountability of Israel for heinous crimes in Gaza  

UNITED NATIONS: A top Pakistani diplomat has called for Israel to be held accountable for the crimes committed during its 15-month long war in Gaza, as he highlighted the suffering of Palestinian children that “stands out as a black mark on humanity at large.”

“Heinous crimes have been committed in this brutal war, particularly against children in violation of International Humanitarian Law, the Geneva Conventions, the Convention on the Rights of Child and the Convention on Genocide,” Ambassador Munir Akram, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council meeting on the dire humanitarian situation.

The meeting was held at the request of Russia, Pakistan, Somalia and Sierra Leone in an effort to focus on the plight of children in Gaza.

“Over 46,000 people killed — most of them women and children. How can this be justified?”, the Pakistan envoy asked.

“The suffering of children in Gaza stands out as a black mark on humanity at large, not only on those who caused the sufferings by their bombs and artillery, not only on those who allowed this to happen over 15 months that this Security Council remained frozen because of the positions of certain states, not only on those who continued to supply weapons and ammunition to the attacking forces who were killing children every day but even all of us,” he said.

Ambassador Akram denounced Israel’s deliberate policy of targeting civilians, irrespective of the fact that the majority being killed are women and children, attacking hospitals and schools, with snipers targeting children.

“What moral degradation allows something like that to happen?” he posed a question.

“There are complaints about 7th of October but compare that with the devastation that has been visited on the people of Gaza. Does 7th of October justify what has been done to the children of Gaza. Can it ever be justified?”

Welcoming the ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US, Ambassador Akram said it could have been achieved much earlier.