Israeli war crimes, genocide in Gaza: Parties firmly support Palestine, PTI boycotts APC

ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Conference (APC) Monday demanded immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, end to brutalities, lifting of the siege, provision of unimpeded humanitarian and medical aid to the Palestinians, and holding Israel accountable for committing war crimes and acts of genocide.

The APC committed its unwavering support for realisation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and other fundamental rights, as well as for establishment of a viable, secure, contiguous, and sovereign State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as well as for the State of Palestine’s full UN membership.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted the conference at the President House. PMLN President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui from MQM, Khalid Magsi from BAP, Ch Saalik Hussain from PMLQ, Abdul Aleem Khan from IPP, Aimal Wali Khan from ANP, Jan Mohammad Baloch from NP, Allama Nasir Abbas from MWM, Ijaz-ul-Haq from PML-Z, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, Sarwat Qadri from Sunni Tehreek, Hussain Muqadassi from TNFJ and PUC chief Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi.

However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decline to attend the APC. According to the 15-point declaration, the conference demands the following. Immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, end to brutalities, lifting of the siege, provision of unimpeded humanitarian and medical aid to the Palestinians, and holding Israel accountable for committing war crimes and acts of genocide.

We state our deep concern over the continuing brutal aggression and genocide being committed by Israel against the Palestinians, despite repeated calls for ceasefire from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the international community;

We express our profound alarm at the impunity with which Israel is expanding the war theatre and threatening regional peace and security, and its continued violations of international law and the UN Charter, including its recent aggression against Lebanon, attacks in the West Bank, assassinations of Hamas leader in Tehran, and the Secretary General of Hezbollah in Lebanon which constitutes a threat to regional peace and security;

We express our unwavering support for the inalienable right of the people of Palestine and Kashmir to self-determination; and for the relevant OIC and UN resolutions on Palestine that call for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Palestinian territories, and for a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict;

We express our unequivocal condemnation in the strongest possible terms of Israel’s genocidal campaign that has resulted in the loss of over 42,000 lives, mostly women and children, as well as grievous injury to over 96,000 Palestinians, in addition to the widespread destruction and displacement of nearly the entire population of Gaza;

We condemn Israeli attacks against schools, hospitals, places of worship, shelters and refugee camps and its killing of aid workers and journalists in unprecedented numbers and in complete violation of international humanitarian law;

Urge the international community to take urgent measures to prevent Israel from further undermining regional peace and stability, including the prevention of Israeli aggression against Lebanon and other regional countries;

Express full support for the ongoing political and diplomatic efforts by the OIC, the League of Arab States, the United Nations, and other brotherly countries in addressing the prevailing situation in Occupied Palestine, as well as for the peace and stability of the broader region;

We call on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene an Emergency Summit to discuss the situation in Palestine, Israel’s brutal aggression in the region and its implications for regional peace and security and underscores the need for unity of the Islamic Ummah;

We call for full implementation of the UN General Assembly resolution ES-10/24 of 18 September 2024, which, inter alia, demand an end to Israeli occupation; the provisional measures by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that call for preventing Israel from committing further acts of genocide against the Palestinian people; as well as ICJ’s Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 that reaffirms the illegality of the Israeli occupation;

Recall the Joint Communiqué of the Arab-Islamic summit of 11th of November 2023 that called for all countries to stop exporting weapons and ammunition to the Israeli occupation authorities.

We express our support to the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) in providing relief to the Palestinian people; We affirm Pakistan’s determination to redouble its efforts for all possible political, diplomatic, moral and humanitarian support for the brotherly people of Palestine;

We appreciate the dispatch of 10 consignments of humanitarian aid from Pakistan for the people of Gaza, and medical relief assistance for the people of Lebanon; and urge continued humanitarian aid to the brotherly people of Palestine, including educational opportunities for Palestinian students and medical treatment of wounded Palestinian children in Pakistan;

We declare unwavering support for realization of the right to self-determination and other fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, as well as for establishment of a viable, secure, contiguous, and sovereign State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as well as for the State of Palestine’s full UN membership;

We call on the Government of Pakistan to continue extending political, diplomatic and humanitarian support to the brotherly people of Palestine and to support diplomatic efforts for bringing an end to the genocide in Gaza;

We decide to observe, with special fervor, 29 November 2024 as a Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People; Strongly reaffirm the right of the people of Kashmir to self-determination and call for the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiri people and the relevant resolutions of UNSC.

Earlier, speaking in in his opening remarks, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated that Pakistan stood in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Palestine and said it was regrettable that the international community had failed to stop Israel from committing its ongoing genocide in Palestine, especially in Gaza.

“The prevailing culture of impunity and disregard of international law must be addressed urgently,” he said. President Zardari said it had been one year since the start of Israel’s brutal aggression on Gaza and Palestine, which resulted in the death of more than 41,800 Palestinians.

The president said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East and strongly condemned the Israeli barbarism and aggression against Palestinians as well as the assassination of top leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. “ Zardari said it was crucial for the international community to take a swift action to de-escalate the situation.

He called upon the international community to take immediate steps to halt Israel’s brutalities, prevent further loss of lives and prevent conflict from spilling over. The president said Pakistan reiterated its call for the United Nations Security Council to uphold peace and security in the region, safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty, put an end to ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

He said Pakistan will continue to raise its voice at all regional and international fora to stop Israel’s human rights violations and aggression. ”We believe that peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without resolving the Palestine issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions,” he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the urgent need for a ceasefire in Palestine, urging the international community, especially the Muslim World, to act swiftly in stopping Israel from further bloodshed in Gaza. “Immediate halting of the ongoing barbarism and bloodshed in Gaza and Palestine is need of the hour,” he said.

He said it was the time for the Muslim World to move forward and take practical steps to prevent Israel from further bloodshed in Palestine. The prime minister also announced to form a working group of experts and its teams will be sent to the world capitals to highlight the issue of Palestine.

Stressing the need for sending more relief goods, Shehbaz Sharif said the Government of Pakistan was making necessary arrangements for the Palestinian students in the field of medical education.

PMLN President Nawaz Sharif said Israel was committing barbarism against the innocent people of Palestine, including women and children. He questioned the strange silence adopted by the world community on this issue of humanity.

He said the way Israel had usurped Palestinians, it seemed that the United Nations was sitting completely helpless and the resolutions passed by them were not being implemented. “It is unfortunate that this situation continues despite these resolutions and the UN doesn’t seem to care either,” he said, adding that the United Nations should implement its resolutions on Palestine and Kashmir.

Nawaz also commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for forcefully raising the issue of Palestine and grave human rights violations by Israel in Gaza during his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

He also urged the Muslim countries to get united and evolve a joint strategy to get the ongoing bloodshed in the Palestine stopped. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the entire Pakistani nation stood behind the Palestinian brothers and sisters in their struggle against Israeli oppression.

He stressed the need for launching an intensive diplomatic campaign to fight the case of Palestinians on diplomatic and legal fronts. He said the media should also be effectively engaged to expose the imperialist, colonial, and Zionist agenda of Israel.

He proposed to constitute a high-power committee, having representation from all the political forces of the country, to raise voice for the oppressed people of Palestine. JUIF chief Fazlur Rehman said the JUI-F did not support two-state solution of the Palestine issue and called for taking practical steps to help the Palestinians instead of passing resolutions and issuing condemnations.

He said Palestinian Muslims were fighting for their rights and we support them. He said a joint platform of leading Muslim countries should be formed to evolve a common strategy to face multiple challenges.

He said if the meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization was being held in Pakistan, then unity should be shown in respect of it and if we want to gain the trust of the world regarding the economy, it is necessary to show internal unity.

Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman strongly warned against adopting the two-state solution for Palestine, arguing that it contradicted Pakistan’s historical stance and the vision of its founding leaders.

“We do not even consider Israel a state,” the JI chief said, adding that they should only talk about the independence of Palestine. He urged that the issue of Israeli aggression in Gaza be raised at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Islamabad.

He warned that India might support Israel during the SCO discussions but emphasized the importance of isolating such a stance. He called on the government to convene a summit of Muslim-majority nations and other allies of Palestine to address the ongoing crisis.

He suggested inviting the military chiefs of Muslim countries to develop a strategic plan to halt the genocide in Gaza. Additionally, he highlighted the need to bridge the Shia-Sunni divide, which, according to him, some factions were trying to exploit to weaken the unity of the Muslim world.

He urged Islamabad to engage both Saudi Arabia and Iran in forging a united stance on Palestine, commending the recent understanding between Tehran and Riyadh, which has helped mitigate sectarian tensions.

He noted that Israel was increasingly targeting Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon, making unity within the Ummah more urgent than ever. He called Hamas a legitimate resistance force representing the Palestinian people and urged Pakistan to officially recognize the group and establish an office for it in Islamabad.

He said Israel was carrying out genocide in Palestine. “The occupied Israeli forces are committing worst atrocities against the humanity,” he said. Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said, “We have to take a very clear stance on the Israeli brutalities against innocent Palestinians.”

He said it is also responsibility of the international community to play its role in stopping the Israeli brutalities in Palestine. MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said Islamic countries should open their educational institutions to accommodate Palestinian students, besides sending assistance to the oppressed people of Gaza.

Balochistan Awami Party leader Khalid Magsi called for forging unity to utilize all resources and energy to protect the lives of the Palestinian people. Those, who also spoke on the occasion, included PML-Q leader Chaudhry Salik Hussain, IPP leader Abdul Aleem Khan, Aimal Wali Khan, Jan Muhammad Buledi, Raja Nasir Abbas, Sarwat IJaz Qadri, and Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi.

After the conclusion of the APC, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar and PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman in a press talk said the APC was held today to express solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians.

“All the proceedings of the All Parties Conference went live so that our voice for the Palestinian people could reach the world,” said Senator Sherry Rehman. She said the APC aimed to give a strong message that Pakistan stood with the people of Palestine. “It was also a message of unity from the political parties of the country that all stood with the people of Palestine,” she said.