Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has called for the “immediate cessation of Israeli acts of terror” against the Palestinian population.
Jalil is leading Pakistan’s delegation in an urgent open-ended Ministerial Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Saudi Arabia.
The Gaza Strip witnessed a devastating incident where over 500 Palestinians lost their lives in a tragic explosion at a hospital, pushing the overall death toll due to Israeli airstrikes beyond 3,000. Palestinian health officials attributed the tragedy to an Israeli air attack.
During this OIC ministerial gathering, jointly convened by Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, the Foreign Minister strongly criticized the Israeli aggression and the inhumane blockade of Gaza. These actions have resulted in loss of life, destruction, and mass displacement, as reported by the Foreign Office on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Jilani condemned Israel’s violations of international human rights law and urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force, which he labeled as potential war crimes.
He called for an immediate ceasefire and insisted that Israel lift the siege of Gaza while also ending the forced evacuation of Palestinians from their homes. Additionally, he stressed the necessity of providing secure and unimpeded humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
Identifying the lack of implementation of a two-state solution as a fundamental reason for the ongoing conflict, Foreign Minister Jilani reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. He further called for the early establishment of a viable, secure, contiguous, and sovereign Palestinian state based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
On the sidelines of the OIC ministerial meeting, Jilani also held discussions with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, emphasizing the immediate need for halting hostilities and safeguarding the well-being of civilians in Gaza.
In another meeting, Jilani met with UAE’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Sabah, and both officials agreed on the pressing requirement for a ceasefire, de-escalation, and timely provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
