ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has joined world leaders in condemning Israel’s ongoing military offensives in the Middle East as he attended a summit of D-8 developing nations in Cairo this week, his office said. 

On the sidelines of the forum, Sharif separately met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after a special session was held on the conflict in the Middle East, where over 46,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza in October last year. Israel has since carried out attacks on Lebanon as well, killing over 3,000 after accusing Hezbollah of targeting its military. This month, it took control of Syria’s buffer zone and bombed key military and strategic assets after the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime by opposition forces.

“While condemning the Israeli genocidal actions against the innocent Palestinians, particularly the worsening situation since Oct. 7, 2023, the two leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspirations for a promised homeland,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after he held a bilateral meeting with Erdogan.

Sharif also separately met with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the D-8 summit.

“Both leaders showed grave concern at the genocide of innocent Palestinians by Israel and agreed to continue raising their voice for the oppressed Palestinians,” the PM Office said in another press release. “The PM reiterated that Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with their brothers and sisters from Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.”

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral platforms and demanded international powers and bodies stop Israeli military actions. 

Islamabad does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and has for decades called for an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.