Islamabad: Pakistan, along with seven other Islamic countries, on Thursday issued a joint statement strongly condemning the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeting of healthcare facilities, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the continued loss of civilian lives, including women and children.
The joint statement was issued by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Trkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said.
The foreign ministers said the violations were in grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law, and affirmed that their continuation constituted a clear breach of Israel’s obligations under international law and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.
The ministers noted that the violations undermined international and regional efforts aimed at implementing the second phase of the plan, particularly following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that Palestinian factions had accepted the roadmap, including provisions relating to the confinement of weapons.
They warned that the violations threatened to derail the political process, reignite the cycle of escalation, and further deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
The statement stressed that the protection of civilians, safeguarding of medical facilities and personnel, and ensuring the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance, medical supplies and relief aid across Gaza were legal obligations that must not be compromised under any circumstances.
The ministers further said the ongoing Israeli violations in Gaza could not be viewed in isolation from settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, unlawful settlement expansion, and unilateral measures aimed at altering the status quo in occupied Jerusalem.
They said these practices, taken together, amounted to a systematic policy aimed at imposing a fait accompli by force, undermining the two-state solution, and marginalising the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.
The statement renewed calls on the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and take practical, effective measures to compel Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law, including UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and to hold those responsible for grave violations accountable.
The ministers reiterated their categorical rejection of any attempts to annex the occupied Palestinian territory, impose Israeli sovereignty over it, or forcibly displace the Palestinian people. They affirmed that the only path to a just and comprehensive peace was a serious political process leading to the two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.