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Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar

Update The remnants of an Iranian missile intercepted over Qatar. (AFP)
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Update Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar
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Israel’s military said early on June 24 that it was working to intercept Iranian missiles launched a “short while ago”, without specifying the exact time of the attack. (AFP)
Update Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday. (AP)
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Updated 25 June 2025

Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar

Iran-Israel ceasefire holds as GCC foreign ministers condemn attack on Qatar
  • Trump says ceasefire now in place after angrily rebuking Israel for breaking the agreement
  • GCC foreign ministers meet in Doha day after Iran targeted US air base in Qatar

A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel held though Tuesday, a day after Iran attacked a US air base in Qatar in retaliation for America's bombing of Tehran's nuclear program sites.

The agreement to end the fighting was put in place by President Donald Trump late on Monday, and early signs on Tuesday that it was about to collapse were swiftly snuffed out.Ìę

Trump angrily rebuked Israel for sending jets to attack Iran in response to what its military said were two Iranian missiles fired from Iran.Ìę

Netanyahu's office said the prime minister had held a call with Trump and “Israel refrained from further strikes”Ìęon Iran.

In a day or intense diplomacy, the GCC's foreign ministers met in Doha to discuss Iran's attacks on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The Iranian PresidentÌęMasoud Pezeshkian also held a series of phone calls with Gulf leaders, including the emir of QatarÌęSheikh Tamim bin Hamad.Ìę

Saudi FM takes part in GCC emergency meeting

șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in an emergency meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers on Tuesday.

The meeting discussed Iranian aggression against Qatar, developments in the region, and their security repercussions, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

During their meeting, GCC countries affirmed their solidarity with Qatar and condemned Iranian aggression on its territory.

They said the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of good neighborliness,Ìęand cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Netanyahu: Israel removed Iran's nuclear threat in 12-day war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel in its 12 days of war with Iran had removed the threat of nuclear annihilation and was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its programme.

"We have removed two immediate existential threats to us - the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles," he said in video remarks issued by his office.

“If anyone in Iran tries to revive this project, we will work with the same determination and strength to thwart any such attempt. I repeat, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

He called it a historic victory that would stand for generations.

Saudi crown prince, Iranian president discuss ceasefire in phone call

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke on the phone on Tuesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he welcomed a ceasefire between Iran and Israel announced earlier in the day, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Mohammed expressed the Kingdom’s hope that theÌętruce would help restore security and stability in the region and prevent the risk of further confrontation, SPA added.

He underscored șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s consistent position in supporting diplomatic dialogue as the preferred path to resolving disputes.

Qatari emir holds calls with Iranian and US presidents, condemns targeting Al-Udeid

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, received separate phone calls from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday following the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base.

Sheikh Tamim strongly condemned the Iranian attack at the outset of his call with Pezeshkian. He said the act was “a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.”

Sheikh Tamim said that Iran’s action contradicted the principles of good neighborliness and highlighted Doha’s ongoing commitment to dialogue with Iran.

He urged an immediate halt to military operations and a return to negotiations to resolve the crisis and ensure regional security and safety, the Qatar News Agency reported.

Israel's military chief: Airstrikes set Iran's nuclear project back 'by years'

The head of Israel's military said Tuesday that the country had set back Iran's nuclear programme "by years" during 12 days of strikes and the campaign against the country was now "entering a new phase".

"We have concluded a significant phase, but the campaign against Iran is not over. We are entering a new phase based on the achievements of the current one," Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said.

"We've set Iran's nuclear project back by years, and the same applies to its missile program."

Lebanon’s prime minister hails success in staying out of Iran-Israel conflict

ÌęDuring an official visit to Qatar on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the fact that his country had managed to avoid being pulled into the conflict between Iran and Israel that began on June 13.

When he met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Salam hailed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran announced on Monday, and thanked Doha for its efforts to help end the hostilities. Both leaders agreed that the end of the conflict would help foster stability in Lebanon, Palestine and the wider Gulf region, the prime minister’s media office said.

During a joint press conference with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Salam said: “We in Lebanon, all of us, have succeeded in preventing the country from being drawn into a new war amid the ongoing regional conflict over the past two weeks.

Iranians welcome ceasefire but fearful for future

After 12 days of Israeli airstrikes that echoed in cities around the country, killing hundreds and sending waves of people fleeing their homes, Iranians voiced relief on Tuesday at the surprise overnight announcement of a ceasefire, Reuters reported.

For those in the Iranian capital it brought the prospect of a clean-up, a return to normal life and the soothing — for now at least — of anxiety about a further escalation and sustained warfare.

Many Iranians who fled the strikes were also glad, able to return home after tiring, expensive stays outside the city in rented accommodation or with relatives.

Doha, Dubai airports face delays after airspace shut

Operations at two of the world's busiest airports in Doha and Dubai slowed to a crawl on Tuesday as thousands of travellers queued for hours, facing long delays and flight cancellations after the temporary closure of airspace a day earlier.

Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait shut their airspace late on Monday after Iran's strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar's capital Doha, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute hundreds of flights and creating a backlog of stranded passengers.

Airports across Dubai briefly halted operations.

Iran says not seeking nuclear weapons but will assert 'legitimate rights'

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons but will continue to defend its "legitimate rights" as a ceasefire took hold with Israel.

"We expect you to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights," Pezeshkian said during a phone call with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, according to the official IRNA news agency. He added that Iran was "ready to resolve the issues... at the negotiating table."

Saudi foreign minister arrives in Doha for emergency GCC meeting

șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Doha on Tuesday to take part in an emergency meeting ofÌęGulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The emergency session has been convened to discuss Monday’sÌęIranian missile attack on US bases inÌęQatar. The meeting will address the implications of the incident for regional security, as well as collective efforts to restore stability across the Gulf, SPA added.

Iran says it will not violate ceasefire deal unless Israel does

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would not violate the ceasefire deal unless Israel does, Iran's state-run Nournews said.

US President Donald Trump earlier announced that the ceasefire deal had been reached between Israel and Iran.

Tehran is prepared to talk and defend the rights of the Iranian people at the negotiating table, Nournews cited Pezeshkian as saying.

Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect

President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in effect Tuesday after the deal initially faltered, and he expressed deep frustration with both sides.

Israel had earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that “Tehran will tremble.”

Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a NATO summit that, in his view, both sides had violated the nascent agreement.

But later he said the deal was saved. “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump said in his Truth Social post.

Trump rebukes Israel for post-ceasefire strikes

President Donald Trump sharply rebuked Israel on Tuesday for its military response following a ceasefire deal, and accused both Israel and Iran of violating the agreement just hours after he announced it.

"I didn't like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. They didn't have to unload and I didn't like the fact that the retaliation was very strong," Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

"In all fairness, Israel unloaded a lot, and now I hear Israel just went out because they felt it was violated by one rocket that didn't land anywhere. That's not what we want," Trump said.

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Sirens in north Israel after army detects Iranian missiles

The Israeli military reported two missiles fired from Iran mid-morning on Tuesday, leading sirens to blare in the north several hours after US President Trump announced a ceasefire plan.

“Two missiles were launched from Iran and they were intercepted,” a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity, with the army saying people could leave shelters around 15 minuutes after the first alert.

Trump announced a phased 24-hour ceasefire process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, which Israel said it had agreed to. Iran has not formally accepted a ceasefire.




US President Donald Trump announced a phased 24-hour ceasefire process beginning at around 0400 GMT on June 24, which Israel said it had agreed to. Iran has not formally accepted a ceasefire. (AFP)

China continues calls for de-escalation

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman has echoed previous calls from Beijing for de-escalation in the Middle East,ÌęcallingÌęfor parties in the region, “especially Israel,”Ìęto reduce tensions.

And it has called for a political solution to help a declared ceasefire hold.

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Israeli defense minister orders attacks on Iran after ceasefire 'violation'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he had ordered the country’s military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel.

The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel.

Less than three hours earlier, US President Donald Trump had said that the ceasefire was now in effect.

Katz said the military had been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.

șÚÁÏÉçÇű welcomes ceasefire between Iran and Israel

șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran on Tuesday morning.

In a statement on X, the ministry affirmed its position of wanting a de-escalation after 11 days of war and thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts in making the deal.

“The Kingdom looks forward to the coming period witnessing a commitment from all parties to calm down and refrain from using force or threatening to use it,” read the statement.

șÚÁÏÉçÇű hopes “this agreement will contribute to restoring security and stability to the region and sparing it the risks of continued escalation.”




Israel and Iran on Tuesday accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war. (AFP)

Israel and Iran accept ceasefire

Israel and Iran on Tuesday accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war that roiled the Middle East, after Tehran launched a retaliatory limited missile attack on a US military base in Qatar.

The acceptance of the deal by both sides came after Tehran launched a final onslaught of missiles targeting Israel that killed at least four people early Tuesday morning, while Israel launched a blitz of airstrikes targeting sites across Iran before dawn.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump.




Israeli PM Benjamin Natanyahu said he supported the ceasefire. (FILE/AFP)

Israel says agreed to Trump proposal for bilateral ceasefire with Iran

Israel said Tuesday it had agreed to a “bilateral ceasefire” with Iran proposed by US President Donald Trump, following 12 days of war with its arch-foe.

“Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the cabinet... to announce that Israel had achieved all the objectives of Operation ‘Rising Lion’ and much more,” the government said in a statement, adding that it had removed “an immediate dual existential threat: nuclear and ballistic”.

“Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and for their participation in removing the Iranian nuclear threat,” the statement said, adding that “Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.”

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Israel rescuers say 4 dead in multi-wave Iran missile attacks

At least four people were killed in Israel in a multi-wave Iranian missile attack Tuesday shortly before a staggered ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump was meant to enter force, emergency services and the army said.

Writing on X, the Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a strike in southern Beersheba while a fourth was added in an update to its figures.

Another two people were “moderately injured” while 20 were treated for minor injuries and anxiety, it said.


Lebanese government vows to rein inÌęHezbollah after defiant Raouche Rock displayÌę

Lebanese government vows to rein inÌęHezbollah after defiant Raouche Rock displayÌę
Updated 10 sec ago

Lebanese government vows to rein inÌęHezbollah after defiant Raouche Rock displayÌę

Lebanese government vows to rein inÌęHezbollah after defiant Raouche Rock displayÌę
  • Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced swift legal action on Friday to uphold state authority after Hezbollah openly violated a government directive by projecting images of slain leaders onto Beirut’s iconic Raouche RockÌę

BEIRUT: The Lebanese government pledged swift legal action after Hezbollah brazenly defied an official ban, projecting images of its late leaders onto Beirut’s landmark Raouche Rock, a public display that has reignited fierce debate over state authority and deepened political tensions across the country. 

The expanded consultative ministerial council, led by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail, condemned Thursday’s event as “a clear breach of the permit” granted for the gathering, and pledged to take necessary measures to protect the prestige of the state and its decisions. 

Ministers stressed the government’s commitment to Lebanon’s stability and social cohesion, vowing to counter divisive rhetoric and halt hate campaigns that threaten national integrity. 

“The policy the government committed to in its ministerial statement calls for extending the sovereignty of the Lebanese state with its own forces across all its territories, and 
 enforcing the laws on all citizens without exception,” it said, adding that this places “great responsibility” on security services to deliver on this mandate. 

“The Lebanese are equal before the law, and the state does not discriminate between one citizen and another, or between one group of citizens and another.” 

The ministers of defense, interior, and justice attended the Grand Serail at Salam’s request for an emergency meeting, which later expanded to include Minister of Labor Mohammed Haidar (Hezbollah’s representative in the government) and Minister of Finance Yassin Jaber (representing the Amal Movement), along with a number of other ministers. 

Discourse intensified Friday morning regarding Hezbollah’s violation of the official ban on using national monuments for “propaganda purposes and to hold activities in which partisan and political slogans are raised” by lighting the Raouche Rock with images of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. Hezbollah party supporters launched a campaign of insults on social media against the prime minister, openly challenging his decision. 

Salam canceled all his appointments on Friday, a move initially perceived by the media as a retreat. However, he quickly informed his ministerial and parliamentary visitors that he “wanted to devote himself to following up on the Raouche Rock issue,” emphasizing the necessity of holding accountable those who violated the Lebanese state’s decision. 

In a firm statement issued Thursday night in response to Hezbollah’s defiance, Salam condemned the event as â€œa clear violation” of the prohibition on illuminating Raouche Rock and projecting images on it. 

Salam described Hezbollah’s actions as a breach of “the explicit commitments of the organizing party and its supporters, and is considered a new lapse on their part, negatively impacting their credibility.” He asserted that “this reprehensible behavior will not deter us from the decision to rebuild a state of law and institutions, but rather increases our determination to fulfill this national duty.”

Salam directed the interior, justice, and defense ministers to “take appropriate measures,” including arresting those responsible and subjecting them to investigation and prosecution under applicable laws. 

Minister of Justice Adel Nassar confirmed that the Public Prosecution is working with security services to identify those involved, regardless of political considerations. He said that “the law applies to everyone without discrimination.”

In response to Hezbollah’s defiance, Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel, after meeting with Salam, said: “The question today is: Is there a state or not? Will Hezbollah accept the state’s conditions, or does it want to remain above them? Our battle is to restrict weapons, not to light the Rock of Raouche.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea praised Salam’s “ongoing efforts to establish the desired state,” adding that “Hezbollah has learned nothing from everything that has happened. What happened at the Raouche Rock constitutes an additional black mark on Hezbollah’s record.”

MP Melhem Khalaf also weighed in, saying: “Hezbollah cannot participate in a government while violating its decisions.”

Sami Abi Al-Mona, Sheikh Aql of the Druze community, emphasized the importance of “strengthening the state’s role, preserving its prestige, and developing the work of its institutions in accordance with the Taif Agreement.”

MP Michel Moawad described what happened at Raouche Rock as “a political May 7 against the state, its institutions, and the people of Beirut,” noting that “Hezbollah’s weapons are not directed against Israel,” and highlighting ongoing disputes over arms control, which Hezbollah appears to reject. 

In parallel, the Israeli army carried out a series of raids on Friday on the eastern mountain range at border sites straddling Lebanon and Syria. 

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee stated that Israeli forces “attacked a Hezbollah precision missile production site in the Bekaa Valley, and that the presence of this targeted site constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The army will continue to work to eliminate any threat to the state of Israel.”


MSF suspends Gaza City activity due to Israeli offensive

MSF suspends Gaza City activity due to Israeli offensive
Updated 35 min 22 sec ago

MSF suspends Gaza City activity due to Israeli offensive

MSF suspends Gaza City activity due to Israeli offensive
  • Medical charity Doctors without Borders said it had been left with no choice but to leave the area as Israeli forces encircle its clinics

GENEVA: Medical charity Doctors without Borders (MSF) said Friday it had been forced to suspend its work in Gaza City because of the ongoing Israeli offensive there.
The statement came after the Israeli military pressed its offensive against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza City, from which hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee.
“We have been left with no choice but to stop our activities as our clinics are encircled by Israeli forces,” said Jacob Granger, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza.
“This is the last thing we wanted, as the needs in Gaza City are enormous, with the most vulnerable people — infants in neo-natal care, those with severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses — unable to move and in grave danger.”
The civil defense agency — a rescue force operating under Hamas authority — reported at least 22 people killed since dawn across the Gaza Strip, including 11 in Gaza City.
Israel’s military said in a statement Friday that the air force had over the past day “struck over 140 targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists, tunnel shafts (and) military infrastructure.”
AFP footage from the Al-Shati refugee camp near Gaza City showed heavy damage to buildings after an air strike.


Greek PM warns Israel risks losing friends

Greek PM warns Israel risks losing friends
Updated 26 September 2025

Greek PM warns Israel risks losing friends

Greek PM warns Israel risks losing friends
  • Mitsotakis said: “The continuation of this course of action will ultimately harm Israel’s own interests”
  • “I tell my Israeli friends they risk alienating all their remaining allies if they persist”

UNITED NATIONS: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a key partner of Israel within the European Union, warned Friday that Israel risked losing remaining friends with its destructive war in Gaza.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, the center-right Greek leader said Israel had a right to self-defense after the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas but cannot “justify the death of thousands of children.”
“Greece maintains a strategic partnership with Israel, but this does not prevent us from speaking openly and frankly,” Mitsotakis said.
“The continuation of this course of action will ultimately harm Israel’s own interests, leading to an erosion of international support,” he said.
“I tell my Israeli friends they risk alienating all their remaining allies if they persist on a path that is shattering the potential of a two-state solution.”
Greece did not join European powers including France and Britain, which in recent days recognized a Palestinian state as they voiced exasperation with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who in a fiery UN speech earlier Friday accused Western leaders of fanning antisemitism — flew over Greece as he took a circuitous route to New York in light of an arrest warrant he faces from the International Criminal Court.
Greece has found common interests with Israel due to tensions both have with Turkiye, which has expanded influence sharply in Syria since the fall of leader Bashar Assad in December.
But Israel also faces wide public criticism in Greece and Mitsotakis’s left-wing predecessor Alexis Tsipras has urged recognition of a Palestinian state.


Israel detains Palestinians in Nablus, reopens West Bank-Jordan crossing

Israel detains Palestinians in Nablus, reopens West Bank-Jordan crossing
Updated 26 September 2025

Israel detains Palestinians in Nablus, reopens West Bank-Jordan crossing

Israel detains Palestinians in Nablus, reopens West Bank-Jordan crossing
  • “The suspects were subsequently transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning,” the spokesman added
  • The detentions “will only fuel public anger,” said Abdul Rahman Shadid, a Hamas official in the West Bank

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories: The Israeli military detained several Palestinians in an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, an AFP journalist at the scene said on Friday.
When contacted by AFP, an Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raid and said that “forces operated in the Nablus area to apprehend several suspects involved in terrorist activities.”
“The suspects were subsequently transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning,” the spokesman added, referring to the Israeli domestic intelligence agency.
An official from Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said that “former prisoners, journalists, academics and members of the Legislative Council,” were among those targeted.
The detentions “will only fuel public anger,” said Abdul Rahman Shadid, a Hamas official in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
Violence in the West Bank has soared since the Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war in October 2023.
Since then, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 983 Palestinians in the West Bank, including many militants, according to health ministry figures.
Over the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including members of security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures.
Meanwhile, the Allenby border crossing — which is the only international gateway for Palestinians to leave the West Bank that does not require entering Israel — reopened on Friday, but later than scheduled.
The crossing had been largely closed since a Jordanian truck driver transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza shot dead an Israeli soldier and a reserve officer at the border last week.
On Tuesday, Palestinian and Jordanian authorities said Israel was indefinitely closing the crossing, which Palestinians feared was retaliation by Israel for France and other Western countries formally recognizing a Palestinian state.
Israel announced on Thursday it would reopen the crossing only for passenger traffic from the next morning.
At around 11:00 am (0800 GMT) on Friday, Palestinian travelers confirmed the reopening, roughly three hours later than scheduled.
Thousands of people gathered in front of the terminal, an AFP journalist on the scene reported.
In an angry UN address on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to block a Palestinian state, accusing European leaders of pushing his country into “national suicide” and rewarding Hamas.


World must not fail children of Gaza: Pakistan PM

World must not fail children of Gaza: Pakistan PM
Updated 26 September 2025

World must not fail children of Gaza: Pakistan PM

World must not fail children of Gaza: Pakistan PM
  • Shehbaz Sharif accuses ‘rogue’ Israel of ‘genocidal’ campaign during UN address
  • ‘The plight of the Palestinian people is one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies of our times’

LONDON: Pakistan’s prime minister on Friday warned the world that it risks failing the children of Gaza, and called for a ceasefire in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif said Israel is inflicting “unspeakable terror” on Palestinian civilians, accusing it of a “genocidal” campaign.

“The smallest coffins are the heaviest to carry,” he said. “Therefore, we cannot, and we must not fail these children of Gaza, or any child anywhere in the world. We must find a path to a ceasefire now.”

He called for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state free from the “shackles” of Israel, and condemned the ongoing violence of Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

“Pakistan firmly supports the demand of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a sovereign Palestine state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital. Palestine can no longer remain under Israeli shackles. It must be liberated,” he said.

“The plight of the Palestinian people is one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies of our times,” he added. “This prolonged injustice is a stain on the global conscious and our collective moral failure for nearly 80 years.

“The Palestinians have courageously endured Israel’s brutal occupation of their homeland. In the West Bank, each passing day brings new brutality — illegal settlers who terrorize and kill with impunity — and nobody can challenge them and question them.”

The suffering of civilians, particularly women and children, was at the forefront of Sharif’s address.

“In Gaza, Israel’s genocidal onslaught has unleashed unspeakable terror upon women and children in a manner we haven’t witnessed in (the) annals of history, in blind pursuit of its nefarious goals,” he said.

“The Israeli leadership has unleashed a shameful campaign against the innocent Palestinians, which history will always remember as one of its darkest chapters.”

Sharif also condemned Israel’s strikes against Hamas negotiators in Qatar’s capital. “Israel’s recent attack on Doha, and its continued violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of numerous countries, is reflective of its rogue behavior,” he said. “Pakistan stands unwaveringly with our brothers and sisters in Qatar.”

Sharif commended countries that recently recognized Palestine. Pakistan was “among the first to recognize Palestine’s statehood in 1988, and now we welcome the recognition of the state of Palestine by a number of countries recently around the globe, and urge others to also follow suit, because time and tide wait for none,” he said.