Litmus test for UN

Presiding over a pivotal UN Security Council debate, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar laid it on the line, condemning the unfolding horror in Gaza as a full-scale genocide happening in plain sight. He didn’t tiptoe around the facts. He called Gaza a graveyard not just for innocent lives but for international law itself. With over 59,000 Palestinians killed, children starving, and hospitals flattened, Dar blasted the UN’s silence and paralysis as nothing short of complicity. Aid convoys are being bombed, and humanitarian access is choked while veto politics keeps the Council in shackles. Pakistan’s six-point roadmap—calling for an unconditional ceasefire, unhindered aid, support for UNRWA, an end to illegal settlements and forced displacements, a robust reconstruction framework, and a genuine two-state solution—was presented as the bare minimum the international community must rally behind.

While some glimmers of diplomacy flicker Hamas gave a thumbs-up to a 60-day US-backed truce plan and mediators like Qatar and Egypt are still at the Table and Israel is playing hardball, pulling its negotiators and digging in on military presence conditions. Time’s running out, and the article paints a bleak picture of a world watching history repeat itself. The ghosts of Rwanda and Bosnia loom large, and the editorial warns that inaction now would be another moral stain on the UN’s already battered credibility. The Paris Peace Conference may offer a narrow window of hope, but without bold, immediate steps, it’s all just smoke and mirrors. If the world keeps looking the other way, the UN might as well turn out the lights on its own legacy.

Overview:

This article is a fiery indictment of the UN’s failure to act in the face of a mounting humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. It captures Pakistan’s urgent diplomatic appeal and highlights the global community’s moral failure to uphold justice and international law when it matters most.

NOTES:

The article captures a searing moment at the UN Security Council where Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the Gaza conflict as a full-scale genocide, asserting that international law is being buried alongside innocent civilians. With over 59,000 Palestinians dead, including starving children and bombed hospitals, the humanitarian crisis has spiraled beyond tragedy into atrocity. Dar accused the UN of moral paralysis and complicity due to inaction driven by veto politics. Aid convoys are under attack, while a third of Gaza’s population suffers from extreme food shortages. Pakistan’s six-point plan demands an unconditional ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors, support for UNRWA, cessation of illegal settlements, a reconstruction framework, and a real two-state solution. Meanwhile, Hamas has responded positively to a US-backed 60-day truce proposal, though Israel’s withdrawal from negotiations and insistence on maintaining a military presence threaten to derail talks. Diplomatic momentum remains fragile, with time running out. The editorial draws parallels to the UN’s past failures in Rwanda and Bosnia, urging immediate global action before Gaza becomes yet another chapter in the world’s history of moral collapse.

Relevant CSS syllabus or subjects:

• Pakistan Affairs: Pakistan’s foreign policy and role in international diplomacy
• International Relations: United Nations system, international law, Middle East crisis
• Current Affairs: Gaza conflict, UN inaction, peace-building efforts
• Essay Paper: Humanitarian crises, justice in international relations, failures of global governance
• Political Science: State responsibility, veto power politics, ethical leadership

Notes for Beginners:

This article tells us how Pakistan boldly took a stand at the UN, calling out the world’s failure to stop the suffering in Gaza. Imagine over 59,000 people killed, including babies dying from hunger, while the global body meant to protect peace does almost nothing. Why? Because powerful countries use their veto power to block any action. Pakistan offered a six-point plan that includes stopping the war and allowing food and medicine to reach those in need. While there are efforts from countries like Qatar and the US to get both sides to agree on a 60-day truce, Israel’s hesitance is making the talks shaky. If nothing is done soon, history may remember this just like Rwanda and Bosnia where the UN stood by as tragedies unfolded.

Facts and Figures:

• Over 59,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza
• A third of Gaza’s population goes without food for days
• Two children died of starvation recently, one just six weeks old
• UN schools and hospitals have been bombed
• Pakistan presented a 6-point peace plan at the UN Security Council
• Hamas responded positively to a 60-day ceasefire proposal
• Israel recalled its Doha-based negotiators for internal consultations

To sum up, The article throws cold water on any illusion that the world is doing enough to stop the bloodshed in Gaza. It’s a chilling reminder that silence isn’t neutral but it’s complicity. While Pakistan punches above its weight morally the UN crippled by political deadlock is fast losing whatever credibility it had left.