Islamabad, September 6, 2025: Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned Israel’s reported intent to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government instructed residents of Gaza City to move south — the latest escalation in a war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu had floated proposals to relocate Palestinians to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, triggering international backlash. Arab leaders subsequently met to adopt an Egyptian-led reconstruction plan for Gaza while warning against any forced demographic changes.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: “Pakistan strongly condemns recent statements by the Israeli occupying power, expressing its intention to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land. Such actions are a clear violation of international law and a deliberate attempt to sabotage efforts for achieving peace and stability in the region.”
The ministry said forced displacement and settlement expansion reflected Israel’s disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law. It urged the global community to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, hold Israel accountable for blocking aid, and respond to worsening hunger and child malnutrition caused by the siege.
Reiterating Islamabad’s “unwavering support” for the Palestinian cause, the Foreign Office reaffirmed Pakistan’s backing for the creation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Other Muslim countries also voiced alarm. Egyptian officials sharply criticized Israeli plans to push Gaza residents toward the Rafah crossing on their border, while Saudi Arabia issued a strongly worded statement opposing forced displacement and backing Cairo.
The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children. Conditions are also worsening in the West Bank, where Israeli settler violence continues to rise.
