UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan on Wednesday called for Israels withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, including East Jerusalem, to pave the way for peace and stability in the Middle East. Israel should also immediately cease all settlement activities (in Palestinian occupied territory), Abdullah Hussain Haroon, the Pakistani permanent representative, told the Security Council during a debate on the Middle situation. Ambassador Haroon said the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories was the 'root cause of the Middle East problem, and called on the international community to address the issue in an effort to accomplish a lasting settlement. The Pakistan envoy commended as 'magnificent the UN report, which concluded that Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity, during its devastating attacks on Gaza in late December and January. Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed and thousands more injured in the course of the Israeli offensive. He said the report, written by respected South African Judge Richard Goldstone, deserves to be read in complete understanding and without reservation because it speaks in a very strong and truthful voice. Haroon said the international community was confronted with a situation that continued to fester, as the consequences of the collective failure to respond would be disastrous for the region and beyond. The humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank was worsening, he said, adding that closure of Gazas border to people and commerce was strangling the local economy and public services and was a threat to human security. Amidst this human tragedy, we regret to note that (the) Israeli govt carries out actions that compound the plight of Palestinian people and make a political settlement all the more difficult. The ambassador said the Security Council, especially its permanent members, should show the political will to achieve real progress for peace in the Middle East and urge for re-launching negotiations for a two-state solution. He said the framework for peace had already been laid out in Council resolutions, the Annapolis understanding, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map peace plan. The Quartet - comprising the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia - must support the peace process through a transparent and objective engagement, the Pakistan envoy said. He pointed to the urgent need of addressing the humanitarian plight in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and rebuilding the Palestinian institutions. Intra-Palestinian reconciliation was also a prerequisite for peace, he said. About 50 delegations took part in the day-long debate during which Arab and Israeli envoys clashed over the findings of the Goldstone report. Arab delegations showed up in force to support the Palestinian Authority, intending to make political gains from the report that Israel and the United States want the UN to bury. The UN Human Rights Council will debate it in Geneva on Thursday. US Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff reminded the 15-nation council that the reports findings by a three-member panel under Goldstones leadership was not a matter for the Security Councils action, adding, But we do take seriously the allegations in the report. While deploring Hamas incapability to undertake self-examination, he urged Israel to 'seriously investigate the allegations. We continue to have serious concern about the report, its unbalanced focus on Israel, the overly broad scope of its recommendations and its sweeping conclusions of law, Wolff said. Citing the report and its findings, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malki charged that Israel was responsible for the deaths of more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev countered Al-Malki, rejecting the use of the council meeting by governments to discuss the report as counterproductive to the Middle East peace process. Israel has rejected the report as one-sided and biased.