— Ishaq Dar says Israeli PM Netanyahu’s remarks about a ‘Greater Israel’ threatened regional peace and security
— Says Netanyahu’s highly provocative statements encapsulating its ‘growing disdain and absolute contempt’ for international order
— Calls Gaza a ‘graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law’
JEDDAH: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about a “Greater Israel” threatened regional peace and security.
Addressing an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC-CFM) in Jeddah, Dar said that in recent days, Israel exhibited its “characteristic sordid insensitivity to international norms” with highly provocative and unwarranted statements encapsulating its “growing disdain and absolute contempt” for the international order.
“The brazen audacity of the so-called Israeli cabinet, in unveiling its ominous plan to extend Israel’s full military control over Gaza, as well as the Israeli prime minister’s recent allusion to the creation of a ‘Greater Israel’, provides an insight into Israel’s annexationist and rogue mindset.”
Pakistan strongly condemned Netanyahu’s remarks, stating that they call for action that would aggravate the already dire humanitarian situation and undermine efforts for peace in the Gaza Strip.
“We joined the statement issued by the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, along with other countries, in expressing strong condemnation and categorical rejection of the Israeli announcement, denouncing it as an unacceptable escalation and a brazen attempt to entrench illegal occupation by coercion,” he said.
Pakistan also fully endorsed and joined the statement issued by 31 Arab-Islamic countries and the secretaries general of the OIC, the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemning Netanyahu’s comments about “Greater Israel”.
“His (Netanyahu’s) statement constitutes a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,” Dar stated.
“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, quoting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “We fully stand by our brotherly Arab states in safeguarding their sovereignty against threats to their independence and territorial integrity.”
Dar called Gaza “a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law”, lamenting the deaths of over 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
“The systematic targeting of hospitals, schools, UN facilities, aid convoys and refugee camps are not incidental, these are wanton acts of collective punishment in full world view,” the deputy PM said.
“Gaza is enduring a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. For nearly two years, it has suffered indiscriminate bombardment, total blockade, and deliberate deprivation and starvation, while violence and dispossession escalate in the West Bank and Jerusalem.”
The deputy PM highlighted that the humanitarian system in place was a “cruel illusion” and noted that an unprecedented hunger crisis and famine are rampant in the coastal enclave.
“Pakistan expresses its deep appreciation to all the states and stakeholders that are playing a role in advancing peace in Gaza. Their ongoing contributions and steadfast support remain essential in the pursuit of stability and justice for the Palestinian people,” he stated.
Dar also welcomed “international momentum” towards the recognition of a Palestinian state by governments around the world and appreciated the International Conference on the Two-State Solution, which was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, on July 28.
“We urge those states that have yet to recognise the State of Palestine to do so as soon as they can,” he urged.
“We need to do more. It (the conference) must now be followed up by coordinated international action to realise the long-overdue settlement, based on a viable, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine, on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital,” Dar added.
Dar outlined that Palestinians no longer need messages of sympathy but concrete action to end their suffering and ensure their freedom from Israeli occupation.
“This is a defining moment for the Muslim Ummah. History will not judge us by our words but by our actions,” he emphasised.
“The OIC must rise to this challenge with unity, resolve, and purpose. Another Nakba cannot, and must not, be allowed to happen,” he added, referring to the incident when 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war with Israel.
Highlighting that the Palestinian question is a litmus test for the rules-based international order, FM Dar presented the following seven “urgent and essential steps” for ending the Gaza crisis:
- An immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire across Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory with full implementation of UNSC resolutions
- Unfettered, sustained and secure humanitarian access to all civilians in need and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and UN personnel
- Reinforce international support to UNRWA — which remains indispensable to the survival of millions of Palestinians — with the OIC playing a proactive role in this end
- An end to forced displacement, illegal settlements and annexation of Palestinian land, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
- The implementation of the OIC’s reconstruction plan for Gaza, which represents a vital framework for post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation, sustainable development and the restoration of dignity of the people of Palestine
- The revival of a genuine process to achieve a just, comprehensive and a lasting two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN and OIC resolutions
- Accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity
The deputy PM also held meetings on the sidelines of the OIC session with his counterparts from Iran and Saudi Arabia, Dar wrote in separate posts on X.
Dar met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, where the pair “discussed the grave situation in Gaza, strongly condemning Israeli aggression, genocide and famine, and emphasised the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian aid and a lasting ceasefire”.
Additionally, the two top diplomats recalled Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Pakistan and discussed Pakistani-Iranian ties and exchanged views on peace and security in the region and beyond, Dar wrote.
Dar separately met Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan, where the pair discussed Saudi-Pakistani ties and exchanged views on “key regional and international developments of mutual interest”.
“We discussed the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the ongoing genocide, famine and the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, reconstruction, and lasting peace,” the deputy PM wrote.
Dar also met his counterpart from Malaysia, Mohamad Haji Hasan, on the sidelines of the meeting, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties through high-level exchanges, expanding trade and economic ties and people-to-people contacts.
“Expressing our firm solidarity with Palestine and deep concern over the situation in Gaza, we emphasised the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access and a permanent ceasefire to pave the way for lasting peace,” Dar wrote on X.
The deputy PM also met Bangladeshi Adviser for Foreign Affairs Md Touhid Hossain once again in Jeddah, following the former’s visit to Dhaka over the weekend.
“We expressed strong solidarity with the just cause of Palestine, underscoring the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access, a permanent ceasefire, and lasting peace through a two-state solution,” Dar wrote.
The pair reaffirmed the improving ties between their nations and “looked forward to seeing the fruits of our cooperation across diverse fields”.
Enjoy fast-loading pages through a regional casino mirror gateway.