FM reiterates Pakistan’s stance for an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire across Gaza
JEDDAH: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has condemned Israel’s plan for the creation of a so-called ‘Greater Israel’, calling it a direct threat to regional and international peace and security. Speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah on Monday, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s stance for an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire across Gaza. “The root cause of this ongoing tragedy is Israel’s prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive,” Dar said. “Pakistan fully stands by its brotherly Arab states in safeguarding their sovereignty against threats to their independence and territorial integrity.” Dar also urged the full implementation of the UN Security Council’s resolutions on the Palestine issue and called for renewed international support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which he said remains indispensable for the survival of millions of Palestinians. He demanded an end to the forced displacement, illegal settlement expansion, and annexation of Palestinian land, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. “The declared intent of Israel to occupy Gaza city would be a deliberate attempt to obliterate Palestinian existence and heritage, and it must be firmly opposed,” Dar said, emphasising the need for accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. DPM also condemned Israel’s actions in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling any desecration of the site an intolerable provocation. “The incursions by Israeli officials into AlQuds Al-Sharif are a deliberate assault on Muslim settlements, a blatant violation of international law, and a direct challenge to the collective conscience of the Muslim Ummah,” Dar added
