ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned the Israeli cabinet’s decision to approve the “illegal and illegitimate control of Gaza City,” calling it a “dangerous escalation,” just hours after the country’s foreign office slammed the “desecration” of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers and officials.
Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to seize military control of Gaza City earlier in the day, describing it as the first phase of a broader push that could extend across the Palestinian enclave.
The proposal includes civilian evacuations, raising concerns that nearly one million Palestinians would be displaced again amid worsening food insecurity and a collapsing aid infrastructure.
The plan has also triggered alarm among Israeli defense officials, who warned it could entangle their forces in a protracted conflict. The international response has been swift and overwhelmingly negative, with the United Nations, United Kingdom, European Union and others warning of devastating humanitarian consequences.
“We strongly condemn the Israeli cabinet’s approval of a plan to take illegal and illegitimate control of Gaza City,” the Pakistani prime minister said in a social media post. “This tantamounts to a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine.”
Sharif said the expansion of military operations would deepen the humanitarian crisis and extinguish prospects for peace.
“We must not lose sight of the root cause of this ongoing tragedy: that is Israel’s prolonged, illegal occupation of Palestinian territory,” he said. “As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive.”
The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions.
He also urged the international community to intervene, halt Israel’s war, ensure civilian protection and enable the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
‘DESECRATION’ OF AL-AQSA MOSQUE
Earlier, Pakistan’s foreign office condemned the “desecration” of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, warning that such provocations could trigger a “catastrophic spiral of violence” in the region.
Ben Gvir, accompanied by Israeli forces and thousands of settlers, entered the Al-Aqsa compound and reportedly prayed at the site, violating longstanding protocols governing one of the most sensitive religious sites in the Middle East.
The incursion, which included assaults on Muslim worshippers, journalists and mosque guards, drew widespread international condemnation.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir walks to visit the Damascus Gate to Jerusalem's Old City, as Israelis mark Jerusalem Day, in Jerusalem May 26, 2025. (Reuters/File)
“The presence and statement of senior Israeli officials and the repugnant declaration that the Temple Mount is ours are a dangerous and deliberate attempt to provoke religious sentiments across the world, escalate tensions and alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said at a weekly press briefing.
He said Israel’s actions were aimed at destabilizing the region and sabotaging any meaningful path to peace.
“Israel’s expansionist attempts are a deliberate effort to destabilize the region,” he continued. “These provocations risk igniting a catastrophic spiral of violence.”
Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in occupied East Jerusalem, is the third holiest site in Islam after the Kaaba in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. It also holds historical significance as the first Qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims.
The spokesperson also called on the international community to act against Israel’s “systemic, illegal, inhumane and unlawful” aggression and protect the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Separately, Khan said Pakistan had dispatched its 18th consignment of relief goods to Gaza, comprising 100 tons of ration bags, ready meals, and medicines.
The aid comes amid growing international concern over the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza and reports of malnourished children
Pakistan, which does not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently condemned Israeli military actions and advocated for the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinian territories.
The country recently used its presidency of the United Nations Security Council to draw attention to the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
