ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) not to remain `a bystander` amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in war-ravaged Gaza, where Israeli military operations continue to claim civilian lives and exact a devastating toll on infrastructure.

`The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza defies comprehension,` said Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan`s permanent representative to the UN, during a briefing to the 15-member Council on the Middle East situation.

The Israeli military has killed more than 56,500 Palestinians mostly women and children since Oct 7, 2023.The briefing came as Pakistan assumed presidency of the Security Council for July 2025, marking a significant moment in its multilateral diplomacy.The briefing was held in line with Security Council`s Resolution 2334 (2016), which requires the UN Secretary-General to report on its implementation every three months. The resolution demands that Israel cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

However, the discussion also covered the risk of famine in Gaza and a new aid mechanism conducted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation a non-UN entity backed by Israel and the United States.

In sharply worded remarks, the Pakistani envoy said the new aid distribution mechanism is not only contrary to international humanitarian law and human dignity, but it also places starving civilians in direct danger, forcing them to cross active combat zones in search of food and water.

`The result is a grotesque cycle of horror: over 500 people have been killed while trying to access humanitarian aid,` Ambassador Ahmad said. `This is a death trap.

He added, `The failure to enforce the Council`s own decisions carries grave consequences for global peace and security and undermines the Council`s own authority and credibility.

At the outset, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari warned that the level of suffering and brutality in Gaza was unbearable, calling the continued collective punishment of Palestinians unjustifiable.

`Deep sense of purpose` Meanwhile, as Pakistan has assumed the UNSC presidency forthe current month, the Foreign Office said in a statement that the country `undertakes this responsibility with a deep sense of purpose, humility and conviction. Our approach will continue to remain anchored in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect for international law, and a steadfast commitment to multilateralism`.

As a country that has consistently advocated for dialogue and diplomacy, Pakistan brings to the Security Council an objective, principled, and balanced perspective shaped by its foreign policy, past experience at the Council, and its long-standing contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security, including through UN peacekeeping and peace-building efforts, it said.

The presidency will convene two high-level signature events during this month: an open debate on `Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes`, to be held on July 22; and a briefing on `Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and SubRegional Organisations: The OrganisationofIslamicCooperation (OIC)`, scheduled for July 24.

Both meetings will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, whowill also preside over the quarterly open debate on the Question of Palestine on 23 July 2025. Mr Dar will also preside over the quarterly open debate on Palestine.

`Pakistan looks forward to working eloselywith all Councilmembers to promote timely and united action, in line with the Council`s Charter responsibilities and the expectations of the international community,` the Foreign Office said.

Mr Dar said Pakistan takes on this responsibility with humility, conviction, and a profound commitment to the UN Charter.

`Our presidency comes at a time of escalating conflicts and humanitarian crises across the world. We will strive to steer the Security Council towards responsive and effective action grounded in dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful dispute resolution`, he said on a post on X.

In a separate address on the future of the UN`s counterterrorism architecture, Ambassador Ahmad called for addressing the root causes of terrorism particularly unresolved conflicts, foreign occupation and systemic injustice.

`The UN`s counterterrorism discourse must not only address the response factors but also the underlying and preventive factors,` he said.

With input from APP