ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday strongly denounced recent remarks by Israeli leaders regarding the creation of a so-called “Greater Israel,” terming them a blatant violation of international law and an attempt to forcibly uproot Palestinians from Gaza.
The controversial statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have sparked anger across the Arab and Muslim world. Netanyahu, in a recent interview, said he felt “very much” aligned with the vision of “Greater Israel,” calling it a “historic and spiritual mission.” Meanwhile, Smotrich announced fresh settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank aimed at “burying the idea of a Palestinian state.”
The UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority have all condemned the remarks.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said it “strongly condemns and rejects” the Israeli leaders’ comments, describing them as part of Israel’s designs to consolidate its occupation and forcibly displace Palestinians. It urged the international community to take urgent steps to stop further destabilization in the Middle East and hold Israel accountable for crimes against the Palestinian people.
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Islamabad further called on world governments to “outrightly reject such provocative notions,” stressing that they violate international law, the UN Charter, and relevant UN resolutions.
Reaffirming its long-standing stance, Pakistan reiterated full support for the Palestinian struggle, emphasizing the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.