PM Shehbaz condemns Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned Israel’s recent plan to take control of Gaza City, calling it illegal, illegitimate, and a dangerous step that will worsen the already dire situation in Palestine.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, the prime minister said that the move will only deepen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and destroy any hope for peace in the region.
“We strongly condemn the Israeli cabinet’s approval of a plan to take illegal and illegitimate control of Gaza City. This is a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine,” said PM Shehbaz.
He blamed the ongoing conflict on Israel’s long-standing illegal occupation of Palestinian land and said that true peace would remain impossible as long as the occupation continues.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s full support for the Palestinian people, the prime minister repeated that they have the right to self-determination and to establish an independent, sovereign state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital. He said the United Nations and OIC must implement this through their resolutions.
PM Shehbaz also urged the international community to step in quickly to stop Israel’s aggression, protect innocent lives, and make sure humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza without delay.
Meanwhile, Israel’s political-security cabinet approved the plan early Friday, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country aims to take full military control of Gaza despite growing criticism at home and abroad.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli military will move to take over Gaza City while trying to provide aid to civilians outside the combat areas.
Gaza City, located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, is the largest city in the region.
Axios journalist Barak Ravid, quoting an Israeli official, said on X that the plan includes evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a new ground attack in the area.
