“Israel’s crimes against humanity should not escape accountability”: Pakistan foreign minister
Pakistan demanded that Israel be held accountable for crimes against humanity during an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday.
“Israel’s crimes against humanity should not escape accountability. There should be no impunity for Israel’s violation of international law, including the Fourth Geneva and the other various human rights Conventions” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at the OIC meeting.
Pakistan also called upon the international community to “protect the Palestinians against the blatant and illegal use of force and flagrant violations of human rights.”
The world community “should urgently intervene and take concerted actions to stop Israeli atrocities against the civilian population in Gaza. The bombardment in Gaza must be stopped immediately.”
Pakistan urged to urgently implement resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council.
“Pakistan is appalled by the sheer magnitude of illegal, disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force, tyranny and injustice being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against defenseless Palestinians” he said.
“There are no words strong enough to condemn the systematic and barbaric crimes against the Palestinians. The indiscriminate use of force by Israeli forces against defenseless Palestinians is tantamount to grave violations of principles underpinned in international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law.”
Recent tensions spread from East Jerusalem to Gaza after Palestinian people protested against recent Israeli assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 197 people in the Palestinian territories, including 58 children, and injured over 1,235 since last week, according to Gazan health authorities.
“The tragedy of forced evictions of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Al-Quds Al-Shareef is the latest manifestation of the systematic Israeli effort to change the demographic structure; historical and legal status; and Arab-Islamic and Christian character of Al-Quds Al-Shareef. This is patently illegal, immoral and unacceptable,” Qureshi said.
Reacting to the western narrative that termed the attacks ‘Israel’s right to self-defense’, FM Qureshi said that “attempts to create a false equivalence between Israel, the aggressor, and Palestinians, the victims, are inexcusable” and Muslim stated should “dispel this deliberately deceptive perception.”
The OIC, he said, owes its genesis to the Palestinian issue. “In this hour of need, the Muslim Ummah must exhibit strong solidarity and support for their Palestinian brothers and sisters.” He expressed hope that the OIC meeting would help in “developing a strong and unified response to the Israeli aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan held phone talks with the leaders of several countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, as well as Palestine to discuss the situation and mobilize international support for Palestinians.
FM Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for an independent State of Palestine with the pre-1967 borders, in accordance with the relevant UN and OIC resolutions, “Support for the Palestinian cause has been a defining principle of Pakistan’s foreign policy since our inception,” Qureshi said. “Our founding father, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was unrelenting in upholding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
“Pakistan remains ready to join hands with other OIC Member States in any move to stop the ongoing bloodshed, and restore human dignity and human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories” Pakistani foriegn minister asserted.
The virtual emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of OIC member states was chaired by Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister.