H.E Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Chair of the D-8

H.E. Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, Secretary General of the D-8

H.E. Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of Turkiye

Honourable Foreign Ministers,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalam-o-Alaikum and Good Morning,

On behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan, I would like to extend sincere thanks to the Republic of Turkiye and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for taking the initiative to hold the Extraordinary Meeting of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers on this matter of utmost significance.

What is happening today in Gaza is an unprecedented tragedy unfolding on an unimaginable scale. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli occupation forces, with 81,000 more injured, many suffering life-threatening injuries or facing lifelong disabilities. The world is witnessing the indiscriminate killing of civilians, with a disproportionately large number of women and children among the victims. Israeli forces are systematically bombing hospitals and vital infrastructure, targeting the very existence of Palestinians. According to the World Health Organization, only 12 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are functional, and even those are barely operational. More strikingly, 84% of all health facilities are either destroyed or damaged, almost certainly by design.

Israel’s incessant and brutal aggression is a blatant attempt to wipe out the Palestinian population. The world is witnessing one of the worst massacres of our time, perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces in total disregard of international law, world opinion, and ICJ orders. History will not judge kindly those who choose to remain silent in the face of such atrocities.

Israel is using hunger and starvation as weapons of war. Recent attacks by Israeli settlers on aid convoys, as well as the seizure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, amount to the deliberate blocking of humanitarian supplies with the clear intent to starve the civilian population. This represents a whole new and horrific chapter in the history of war crimes under international humanitarian law and the laws of war. The international community must take action to stop this collective punishment unleashed on the Palestinians. We condemn the use of starvation as a weapon of war and call for an immediate ceasefire and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The order of the International Court of Justice (under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa vs. Israel)), directing Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, must be implemented without delay. This is the third time this year that the 15-judge panel has issued such an order. The international community must act to halt the killing and alleviate humanitarian suffering.

Excellencies,

Pakistan has consistently supported a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the occupied Palestinian territories based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. We call for the total withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories, restitution of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right of return to Palestine, and the establishment of an independent homeland for the Palestinians with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Pakistan believes that there can be no lasting peace in the Middle East without a comprehensive resolution of all outstanding Arab-Israeli disputes. The establishment of a sovereign, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state is an absolute prerequisite for regional peace and stability.

Silence and inaction in the face of outrageous killings, mistreatment, and relocation of the Palestinians are not options. We must stand up for our brothers and sisters in Palestine and present a united front to stop Israel’s inhumane and barbaric brutalities.

Excellencies,

The D-8 must use its political and economic leverage at all relevant international fora to end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Seeking an immediate and unconditional end to this blatantly illegal and vividly genocidal action on the part of Israeli occupation forces is an absolute imperative.

Through the D-8 platform, we may coordinate humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza and also play a role in the rebuilding efforts once the aggression ends. This is important if we want Palestinians to rebuild their lives and livelihoods and not let Israel succeed in its nefarious design of, if not eliminating them, then crippling them permanently.

This timely gathering of Foreign Ministers of eight important Muslim countries must send a strong message of support to the Palestinian people. It must also lead the call and campaign for concerted and immediate international action to halt Israeli aggression and open all channels of humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Gaza.

Pakistan, on its part, has already sent eight relief consignments for our Palestinian brothers and sisters. The magnitude of devastation caused by disproportionate and incessant Israeli aggression, however, is unparalleled. It, accordingly, demands extraordinary international efforts geared toward the restoration and rehabilitation of Gaza. Let’s come together and act now in lending meaningful support to our Palestinian brethren.

Thank you.