Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to assume control of Gaza City, calling it a dangerous escalation in an already destructive conflict against the Palestinian people.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the move, saying, "The Israeli cabinet’s approval to illegally occupy Gaza City represents a severe intensification of a war already causing widespread devastation."
"This expansion of military operations will further aggravate the existing humanitarian crisis. Such actions eliminate any remaining prospects for peace in the region," the premier said.
The prime minister emphasised the need to recognise the root causes of the ongoing tragedy. "Peace will remain a distant dream so long as Israel continues its occupation of Palestinian land," he said.
Reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, the premier also called upon the international community to intervene immediately and halt Israel’s unjustified aggression.
Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) echoed the condemnation. A spokesperson said, "Pakistan firmly rejects Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza. This violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and indicates an intention to widen the military assault on Gaza."
Pakistan urged the international community once again to act decisively to stop the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
On the other side, Senator Irfan Siddiqui also condemned the announcement. "Israel’s declaration of control over Gaza challenges the entire civilised world. If the international conscience fails to respond to this shameful, illegal and immoral decision, it will legitimise oppression and brute force. Silence on this move will encourage injustice and crimes against humanity," he said.
- Israel approves plan to take control of Gaza City
Earlier, Israel's political-security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City early on Friday, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of the entire strip despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating almost two-year-old war.
"The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones," Netanyahu's office said in a statement, referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Gaza City, in the north of the strip, is the largest city in the enclave.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing an Israeli official, said on X the plan involved evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a ground offensive there.
Netanyahu on Thursday told Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer in an interview "we intend to" when asked if Israel would takezover the entire coastal territory.
"We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body."
He said Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it. He did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.
Netanyahu made the comments to Fox News ahead of a meeting with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza.
Israeli officials described a previous meeting this week with the head of the military as tense, saying military chief Eyal Zamir had pushed back on expanding Israel's campaign.
In its Friday statement, Netanyahu's office said the vast majority of the political-security cabinet members believed that "the alternative plan presented in the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages."
Two government sources said any resolution by the security cabinet would need to be approved by the full cabinet, which may not meet until Sunday.
Among the scenarios being considered ahead of the security meeting was a phased takeover of areas in Gaza not yet under military control, one of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
