| Pakistan condemns the ongoing Israeli assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza and considers it a blatant violation of international law and a war crime, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Zamir Akram has said. Akram was speaking on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference at a special session of the Human Rights Council, according to a message received here on Saturday. The session was held to discuss the human rights situation in the occupied Gaza Strip. He said the UN Security Council's (UNSC) call for a ceasefire should be immediately implemented. He said the unrestrained use of force, the killing of innocent civilians including women and children, the bombardment on UN safe havens and the collective punishment of the Palestinian people were war crimes and crimes against humanity. He called for bringing the culprits to justice. Akram said the 1.5 million people of Gaza had been subjected to a crippling blockade for the last eighteen months. He urged the UNSC and the world to help end the Israeli aggression on Gaza, ensure cessation of all hostilities and provide immediate protection for the Palestinian people and secure a ceasefire and return to calm. |