Pakistan, seven nations call Israeli actions in Gaza grave violations of international law | The Express Tribune

Pakistan and seven other Islamic countries on Thursday condemned Israel’s ongoing violations in the Gaza Strip, denouncing the targeting of healthcare facilities, attacks on civilian infrastructure and the continued loss of civilian lives as grave breaches of international law.

In a joint statement shared by the Foreign Office (FO), the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates expressed “their strongest condemnation and denunciation” of Israel’s actions in Gaza, particularly the targeting of healthcare facilities and medical infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the continued loss of civilian lives, including women and children.

The ministers said the ongoing violations amounted to “grave violations of international law, including international humanitarian law.”

They said the continuation of these violations constituted “a clear breach” of Israel’s obligations under international law and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, undermining international and regional efforts to implement the plan’s second phase.

The statement said the violations came despite the announcement by US President Donald Trump that the Palestinian factions had accepted the roadmap, including provisions relating to the confinement of weapons, warning that the actions threatened to derail the political process, reignite the cycle of escalation and deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Read: Israeli strikes kill 15 in Gaza despite truce

“The protection of civilians, the safeguarding of medical facilities and personnel working in the health and humanitarian sectors, and ensuring the immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance, medical supplies, and relief aid throughout the Gaza Strip constitute legal obligations that must not be compromised or diminished under any circumstances,” the ministers stressed.

They further said the ongoing violations in Gaza could not be viewed in isolation from settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, the expansion of settlements and unilateral measures aimed at altering the “status quo in Occupied Jerusalem.”

The ministers said these actions together constituted “a systematic policy aimed at imposing a fait accompli by force,” undermined the foundations of the two-state solution and marginalized the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people “in flagrant violation of international law and the relevant UN resolutions.”

The foreign ministers also called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to assume “its legal and moral responsibilities” and take “practical and effective measures” to compel Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 2803.

They also urged the international community to hold those responsible for what they described as grave violations accountable in a manner that contributes to protecting civilians, preserving the prospects for completing implementation of the agreement and achieving a permanent ceasefire.

The foreign ministers further expressed their “categorical rejection” of any attempts to annex the Occupied Palestinian Territory, impose Israeli sovereignty over it or forcibly displace the Palestinian people.

Also Read: Israel conveys ‘concerns’ to US on Gaza plan

They reiterated that “the only path to achieving a just and comprehensive peace” was the launch of a serious political process leading to the implementation of the two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The statement came as Israel continues to attack the Gaza Strip despite the ceasefire. On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza for a second straight day, killing at least 15 Palestinians. At least 1,230 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since a ceasefire was reached in October.

The attack came despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year’s ceasefire agreement.

Last week, Trump claimed that there had been a breakthrough after Hamas agreed to disarm under a US-backed initiative to implement the ceasefire agreement reached last year in Egypt.

Trump’s Board of Peace, the US-led body overseeing the “ceasefire”, published a 15-point roadmap setting out the final steps for implementing the agreement.

The roadmap has yet to be implemented. Hamas has said it will hand over its weapons for storage only after Israel halts military operations and withdraws its forces in line with last year’s agreement. An Israeli official told Reuters there would be no withdrawal from the military’s current positions unless Hamas undergoes “genuine disarmament”.