ISLAMABAD: Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani asserted that Israel’s siege of Gaza constitutes genocide against the Palestinian people.
ilani, in a press conference at the Foreign Office on Sunday, asserted, “This situation can be likened to genocide, in fact, it constitutes genocide.” He went on to announce his representation of Pakistan in the OIC executive meeting in Jeddah on Wednesday to address the Palestinian situation, emphasizing the immense importance of the Palestine issue to Pakistan.
Jilani expressed unequivocal condemnation of Israel’s aggressive actions, which resulted in the loss of many innocent lives, and he also decried the siege of Gaza. He described the situation as unfortunate, with the people in Gaza suffering from severe shortages of food, water, and healthcare, leading to a humanitarian crisis, which he termed a genocide.
The Foreign Minister emphasized Pakistan’s stance that Israel must adhere to international law and respect the UN resolution recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. He pointed out that the current crisis is a result of seven decades of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Moreover, Jilani firmly rejected the notion of equating Israel, the aggressor, with the Palestinian struggle. He asserted that Pakistan finds such an equivalence unacceptable.
Jilani further highlighted that Pakistan’s recognition of Israel as a separate state could only occur after recognizing the Palestinian right to self-determination, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds as the capital of Palestine.
The situation had escalated with Israel launching air raids on the Gaza strip and preparing for a ground assault in response to attacks from Hamas, resulting in a tragic loss of lives, with over 1,000 people killed and over 2,000 Palestinians already casualties of Israeli bombing.
