Islamabad, August 8, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has denounced Israel’s newly approved plan to seize control of Gaza City, calling it “illegal, illegitimate, and dangerously escalatory” amid an already dire humanitarian crisis.
In a statement on X, the premier warned that expanding military operations would push Gaza’s two million residents deeper into catastrophe and shatter any hope for peace. He said the root cause of the conflict remained Israel’s “prolonged, unlawful occupation” of Palestinian territories, stressing that peace would remain out of reach until the occupation ended.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for Palestinians, Shehbaz reiterated their right to self-determination and an independent state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with UN and OIC resolutions. He urged the global community to act immediately to stop Israel’s “unwarranted aggression,” safeguard civilian lives, and ensure the swift delivery of humanitarian aid.
The condemnation follows an announcement by Israel’s military that it will “take control” of Gaza City under a strategy endorsed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet. The plan — part of Israel’s stated aim to “defeat” Hamas — triggered international backlash, with Germany suspending military exports to Israel and China, Turkey, the UK, and the UN’s human rights chief expressing deep concern.
Under the plan, Israeli forces will prepare to occupy Gaza City while distributing aid outside combat zones. Netanyahu told US media that Israel does not intend to govern Gaza but wants to establish a “security perimeter” before handing control to “Arab forces” that would run the territory without threatening Israel.
Israel occupied Gaza from 1967 until its unilateral withdrawal in 2005. Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet’s decision rests on five principles, including the Strip’s demilitarisation and the creation of a civil administration “neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.”
The move comes as pressure mounts on Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire, ease Gaza’s looming famine, and secure the release of captives held by Hamas — now nearly two years into the war. Hamas has condemned the takeover plan as a “new war crime.”
