ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan discussed the ongoing human rights situation in Gaza on Wednesday, calling for the cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians in the Palestinian enclave, the Pakistani minister said.
Jilani met the Saudi foreign minister on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) executive committee meeting in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia, the chair of the executive committee, had called for an urgent meeting of the body on Oct. 18 to discuss the “escalating military situation in Gaza and its environs.”
At least 3,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and over 9,500 injured since Oct. 7 when Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, carried out a cross-border rampage against communities in southern Israel in which at least 1,300 people were reportedly killed.
“We stressed the urgent need for cessation of hostilities & protection of civilians in Gaza,” Jilani wrote on the social media platform X. He described his meeting with the Saudi minister as a “constructive” one during which the two discussed bilateral relations and regional developments in Gaza.
In a separate statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Jilani denounced Israeli aggression during the OIC meeting and called on the international community to hold the Jewish state accountable.
“He underscored that the Israeli occupation forces were in clear violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, and their indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” MoFA said.
“He called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.”
Israel’s relentless bombing of the enclave, including Tuesday night’s airstrike at a hospital that reportedly killed hundreds of people, incensed Muslim countries across the world and drew calls for a thorough, impartial investigation into the incident.
Jilani condemned the airstrike and demanded Israel end its “campaign of terror” with an immediate cease-fire and lift the siege of Gaza.
“He also underlined the urgency of humanitarian corridors for rapid, secure and unrestricted humanitarian and relief supplies to Gaza,” MoFA said.
The foreign minister reiterated Pakistan’s demand for an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
