Palestinian humanitarian crisis has reached level ‘beyond imagination’: PM Shehbaz
- Atrocities against Palestinians by Israel rightfully labelled as genocide, premier says at Joint Arab-Islamic Summit
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday condemned Israel’s continued atrocities against Palestinians, saying Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has reached a level “beyond imagination”.
While addressing the second Joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, he said: “The occupied Palestinian territories like Gaza have fallen into darkness and despair.”
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Hospitals are being blown up along with injured women clutching their infants’ dead bodies, the premier lamented.
He said that the ongoing atrocities against Palestinians are rightfully labelled as genocide.
The premier called on the forum to demand accountability for Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, where Israeli strikes have killed over 40,000 Palestinians, including women and children.
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“This conference must call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel,” he said.
PM Shehbaz said that the world’s indifference and inaction over the issue only allowed Israel to become emboldened.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler called for immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon at a joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit.
Opening the summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the international community must “immediately halt the Israeli actions against our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon”, condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide”.
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“(Saudi Arabia) affirms its support for the brothers in Palestine and Lebanon to overcome the disastrous humanitarian consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression,” he said.
A draft resolution for the summit stresses “firm support” for “national rights” for the Palestinian people, “foremost among which is their right to freedom and an independent, sovereign state”.
Just hours earlier, newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was not “realistic” to establish a Palestinian state, dismissing it as a “Hamas state”.
“I don’t think this position is realistic today and we must be realistic,” Saar said in response to a question during an appearance in Jerusalem.
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