ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Pakistan joined other Muslim countries on Tuesday in calling for Israel to \u201cimmediately fulfill its outstanding commitments\u201d under the first phase of a plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The demand was made in a joint statement attributed to the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after they met on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement said that as part of its commitments under the Gaza plan, Israel should ensure the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and early recovery supplies, as well as facilitate the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ministers stressed the \u201cimperative of preserving the ceasefire and ending all violations\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They emphasised that the road map for completing the implementation of the of the Gaza plan was an \u201cintegral part\u201d of the plan and provided the framework for implementation to advance its second phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This included \u201cdecommissioning alongside full Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), the assumption by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) of its responsibilities throughout the Gaza Strip, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction across Gaza\u201d, the statement read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ministers called on all parties to fulfill their respective commitments \u201cin good faith and without delay\u201d under the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They further reiterated their \u201ccategorical rejection of any measures aimed at the expulsion or the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland or attempts to alter the territorial or demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey deplore in this context the illegal measures aimed at consolidating Israeli control and annexation, including the accelerating settlement expansion, land confiscation, demolition of Palestinian homes, settler violence and terrorism, and forced displacement, and called for their immediate reversal,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ministers additionally expressed grave concern over measures that undermined the historical and legal status quo of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, they welcomed the recent measures taken by the United Kingdom in response to \u201cillegal Israeli settlement activity, as well as broader national and European efforts, including measures to halt trade<\/a> with illegal Israeli settlements\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ministers called for further effective measures to end the expansion of settlements and ensure accountability for settler violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They also emphasised that Gaza remained an integral part of the Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ministers reaffirmed that the implementation of the Gaza plan must contribute to the reunification of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, and to a \u201ccredible and irreversible pathway towards the exercise of the Palestinian people\u2019s right to self-determination and the realisation of a sovereign, viable, and independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital\u201d through the implementation of the two-state solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They commended the leadership of US President Donald Trump and highlighted the role of the US in ensuring the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. They called for \u201csustained and active\u201d US engagement to ensure that all parties fulfilled their commitments, and to overcome obstacles to the implementation of the road map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTangible progress on the ground will strengthen the credibility of the Board of Peace and the authority of the plan and create deeply needed momentum,\u201d the joint statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The eight ministers reaffirmed their readiness to continue working collectively with the US, the Board of Peace, the Palestinian Authority and all relevant parties to advance the full implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and its road map, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, fulfill their right to self-determination and independent statehood, and \u201cachieve just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Much of Gaza remains in ruins<\/a> from two years<\/a> \u200bof relentless Israeli bombing that began on Oct 7, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a ceasefire deal<\/a> was struck in October 2025, Trump set \u200bout a 20-point peace plan for Gaza that provided for a the supply of humanitarian aid, civilian administration by Palestinian \u2060technocrats, Hamas laying down its arms and Israeli forces withdrawing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the plan has stalled and the group of technocrats<\/a> \u2014 known as the \u200bNational Committee for the Administration of Gaza \u2014 has remained outside Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Israel rejected in August a plan<\/u><\/a> \u2014 the latest stage in a US-led ceasefire<\/u><\/a> announced in October \u2014 that said Hamas would surrender weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plan was endorsed by Hamas in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After more than a week of gradually escalating criticism<\/u><\/a> of the plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly opposed it as he faced pushback from his right-wing base ahead of elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Israeli military \u201cwill not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens\u201d, Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also attended a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday where he called for urgent global attention to Israeli settler violence<\/a> and annexation policies<\/a> in the occupied West Bank, as well as violations of the Gaza ceasefire, describing such acts as \u201cflagrant violations of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking at the meeting of the OIC Committee of Six on Palestine in New York, Dar said the Palestinian cause remained \u201ccentral to the OIC and the collective conscience of the Muslim Ummah\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Committee of Six has an important responsibility to mobilise political and diplomatic support for the Palestinian people and to ensure that the international community does not lose sight of their legitimate and inalienable rights,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, both in Gaza and the West Bank, continued to demand \u201curgent and immediate attention\u201d, with the humanitarian situation remaining dire and the security environment \u201cextremely fragile\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur recent diplomatic efforts have created an opportunity to advance a critical process. Serious challenges still remain,\u201d Dar said, adding that the Gaza ceasefire<\/a> was being violated \u201con an almost daily basis\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He appreciated the efforts of mediating countries, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, towards implementing the comprehensive plan<\/a> to end the Gaza conflict, as endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dar said Israeli settlement activity, settler violence, annexation policies and other violations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continued to threaten the \u201cterritorial integrity and contiguity\u201d of the occupied Palestinian territory and undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan, he said, continued to \u201cstrongly condemn\u201d Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque<\/a> and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, including incursions by extremist settlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese acts are flagrant violations of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status quo governing the Holy Sites,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dar said the ongoing situation required \u201crenewed, coordinated diplomatic action\u201d by the OIC and its member states, adding that the committee should continue to work on six points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first was to safeguard the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Al-Haram Al-Sharif and other Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, reject Israel\u2019s illegal settlement expansion, annexation, settler violence and forced displacement in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, support the full and faithful implementation of the Gaza peace plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth, ensure that reconstruction and governance arrangements in Gaza remain Palestinian-led, with a central role for the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fifth, support accountability for violations of international law and international humanitarian law; further strengthen coordination among OIC member states in other international forums to protect the Palestinian people and uphold international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, maintain sustained international efforts towards a credible, irreversible and time-bound political process leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, while also supporting Palestine\u2019s full membership of the United Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs members of the OIC Committee of Six, we have a particular responsibility to translate our collective solidarity into sustained and coordinated diplomatic efforts,\u201d Dar stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPakistan\u2019s solidarity with the Palestinian people remains steadfast and unwavering. We will continue to work with brotherly and partner countries to advance the Palestinian cause and contribute to a just and lasting resolution of the question of Palestine, in line with international legitimacy,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Foreign Office (FO) later shared a statement<\/a> outlining DPM Dar\u2019s remarks at the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remarks come amid renewed Israeli settlement expansion<\/a> and rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel has recently added 2,167 housing units to its E1 settlement plan, bringing the total planned units to 3,401, a move that Palestinians and several countries have criticised as threatening the territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UN has also reported<\/a> a sharp rise in settler attacks. More than 1,600 incidents resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage were recorded across 275 communities between January and September 14, while more than 2,600 Palestinians had been displaced in the context of settler violence and related access restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dar also participated in the ministerial meeting of the Regional-4 (R-4) group in New York on Tuesday. He was joined by the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The R-4 group has been focused on regional security and emerged in March amid efforts for mediation between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the group met in New York, DPM Dar reaffirmed \u201cPakistan\u2019s strong commitment to the R-4 framework and expressed the need for continued engagement for enhancing regional peace and prosperity\u201d, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It added that the participants exchanged views on the latest situation in the region and expressed full support for efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe ministers reiterated their support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their inalienable right to self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,\u201d it read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Separately, in a meeting with Libya\u2019s acting foreign minister, Al-Taher Al-Baour, Dar discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in trade, education and business-to-business exchanges, FO said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the two sides exchanged views on \u201cregional and international developments, including the evolving situation in the Middle East\u201d, FO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Libyan foreign minister appreciated Pakistan\u2019s \u201cconstructive diplomatic efforts\u201d for regional peace and stability, according to the FO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DPM Dar underscored that \u201cdialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable means of addressing regional challenges\u201d and stressed the need for all parties to return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)<\/a> to advance regional stability, the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dar also held a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, during which the two discussed ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, education, health, the automobile sector and digital IT cooperation, the FO said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They also exchanged views on \u201cregional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Motegi appreciated Pakistan\u2019s diplomatic and mediation efforts in support of regional peace and stability, the FO added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both sides expressed hope that all parties would return to dialogue and pursue implementation of the Islamabad MoU. They also discussed the implications of the situation for energy supplies, supply chains and the global economy, according to the FO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the momentum of bilateral engagement and further expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest, the statement added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Pakistan joined other Muslim countries on Tuesday in calling for Israel to \u201cimmediately fulfill its outstanding commitments\u201d under the first phase of a plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza. The demand was made in a joint statement attributed to the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>OIC meeting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>R-4 meeting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Dar meets with Libyan FM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Dar meets with Japanese FM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n