Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned on Friday the recent approval of the Israeli Cabinet of a plan to assume control of the city of Gaza, qualifying it illegal and illegitimate and warning that the measure represents a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
In a statement published in his official X account, Prime Minister Sharif said that the last development would only deepen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and derail all the perspectives of peace in the region.
“We firmly condemn the approval of the Israeli cabinet of a plan to take illegal and illegitimate control of the city of Gaza. This is equivalent to a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine,” said Prime Minister.
He stressed that the root cause of the in progress is the “prolonged and illegal occupation of Israel of the Palestinian territory”, which he continues to block any significant path to lasting peace. “While this occupation lasts, peace will remain difficult to achieve,” warned Prime Minister Sharif.
The prime minister reiterated the unwavering support of Pakistan to 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, according to the nations and the organization of the resolutions of Islamic cooperation (OIC).
Asking the international community, Prime Minister Sharif urged the urgent intervention to stop what he described as the “unjustified aggression” of Israel, to protect innocent civilians and to guarantee delivery without obstacles to humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shafqat Ali Khan, condemned in the strongest terms, the assault of the Al-Aqsa Mosque for thousands of Israeli settlers, including senior officials and members of the Knesset. “These provocations, accompanied by offensive statements, are deliberate attempts to inflame religious feelings and destabilize the region,” he warned.
