ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbasi Jilani will attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) executive committee today, Wednesday, to discuss the escalating crisis in Gaza and push for a collective demand by the OIC for a cease-fire, the foreign ministry said.
Saudi Arabia, the chair of the OIC’s executive committee, last week called an urgent meeting of the body in Jeddah 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 carried out a cross-border rampage against communities in southern Israel in which at least 1,300 people perished.
Israel has intensified its attempts to destroy the Hamas group, relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip and amassing tens of thousands of soldiers near the enclave ahead of an expected ground offensive, sparking fears of a wider, regional conflict.
On Tuesday night, a blast at a hospital in Gaza City killed some 500 Palestinians in the deadliest single incident since Israel launched its unrelenting bombing campaign.
“In respect of tomorrow’s session of the Executive Committee, the Foreign Minister has underlined Pakistan’s priority for a collective demand by OIC for a cease-fire,” a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
In the days leading up to the OIC meeting, Jilani spoke to his counterparts in the UAE, Iran, Egypt and Turkiye over the siege of Gaza and the ensuing crisis.
“He will continue these consultations with in-person meetings in Jeddah,” the foreign ministry added.
Pakistan will also push for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza without further delay.
Israel imposed a blockade of the densely populated Gaza last week, preventing food, fuel and water from reaching the area. International agencies have warned of the risk of water-borne diseases and shortage of clean drinking water for millions in the territory.
“Subsequent efforts should be directed toward a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question anchored in international law and in line with relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions,” MoFA said.
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
