Pakistan condemns Israel's Gaza plan

PM says move will derail all prospects for peace

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli cabinet's recent approval of a plan to assume control of Gaza City, calling it illegal and illegitimate and warning that the move represents a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

In a statement posted on his official X account, PM Sharif said the latest development would only deepen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and derail all prospects for peace in the region.

"We strongly condemn the Israeli cabinet's approval of a plan to take illegal and illegitimate control of Gaza City. This tantamounts to a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine," the prime minister said.

He emphasized that the root cause of the ongoing tragedy is Israel's "prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestinian territory," which he said continues to block any meaningful path to lasting peace. "As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive," PM Sharif warned.

The prime minister reiterated Pakistan's unwavering support for the Palestinian people, reaffirming their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolutions.

Calling on the international community, PM Sharif urged urgent intervention to stop what he described as Israel's "unwarranted aggression," to protect innocent civilians, and to ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan condemned in the strongest terms the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by thousands of Israeli settlers, including senior officials and Knesset members. "These provocations, accompanied by offensive declarations, are deliberate attempts to inflame religious sentiments and destabilize the region," he warned.