Khawaja Asif omits Israel's name in his UN speech on Gaza genocide

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has sparked controversy after failing to mention Israel's name during his speech at the United Nations 'Summit of the Future' in New York, part of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

In his address, Asif said that sustainable development cannot occur until "tragedies like Gaza are perpetuated by the developed world." 

He called for improved representation of "developing nations in international financial institutions" and advocated for a "review of the sovereign debt framework to ensure fairness".

The federal minister pressed for the creation of an equitable international tax system and expressed support for adopting the UN's Pact for the Future.

“The pact will be transformative only if we translate the commitments undertaken into concrete action."

وزیر دفاع پاکستان خواجہ محمد آصف کا اقوام متحدہ کے "مستقبل کے سربراہی اجلاس" سے خطاب۔

خطاب کے آغاز میں غزہ میں جاری مظالم اور فلسطین کی آزادی کی جانب اقوام عالم کی توجہ مبذول کرائی۔ "دنیا میں کوئی بھی ترقی اس وقت ممکن نہیں جب تک غزہ میں جاری مظالم ترقی یافتہ ممالک کی جانب سے… pic.twitter.com/zMOTAglMRn

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) September 23, 2024

However, social media users criticised Mr Asif for not directly naming Israel, which has been committing war crimes in Gaza for nearly ten months. 

The situation in Gaza is dire, with over 41,000 Palestinians losing their lives, including 16,456 children and 11,000 women. 

Israeli military offensives have also left almost 95,497 people injured, and two-thirds of buildings across the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. 

Furthermore, Israeli attacks have killed at least 270 aid workers.

The restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies have exacerbated the situation in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to ensure basic services and humanitarian aid delivery in the besieged enclave.

The Palestinian government's information office reported that almost 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced due to relentless air and artillery strikes by the Israeli military.

Thousands of children in Gaza have been diagnosed with malnutrition, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Earlier, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) head Cindy McCain said people in Gaza are starving to death.

The WFP estimated that around 1.1 million people are "struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation" due to Israel's severe restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to the besieged enclave.