Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has called for imposing trade and oil sanctions on Israel as the country further exacerbates tension in the Middle East with strikes on Gaza.

“If the Israeli leadership continues to subvert the legally binding demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the entire OIC membership would take several collective measures in response, including the imposition of trade and oil sanctions,” he said while addressing the extraordinary Open-Ended Meeting of OIC Executive Committee in Jeddah on Wednesday.

Muslim leaders met in the kingdom’s city to discuss the continued crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, including the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and its aggressions against the sovereignty of Iran.

Israeli actions have resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 individuals and injuries to more than 91,000 Palestinian citizens, most of whom are women and children.

The control of the Rafah crossing should be handed back to Egypt in order to enhance the provision of humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza and meet their needs for food, medicines, energy and other essential supplies, Radio Pakistan quoted Dar as saying.

The deputy minister demanded the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and the commencement of its reconstruction, as envisaged in the plan approved by the UN Security Council.

He stressed the need for “rapidly securing” Palestine’s admission as a full member of the United Nations and commencing the political and diplomatic process to establish the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

“In order to initiate the establishment of an international judicial mechanism, which would seek restitution, damages and satisfaction from Israel for its crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Gaza and hold accountable those responsible for these crimes,” he said.

“Extremist Israeli leaders want to prolong and expand the war to ensure their own political survival, perpetuate Israeli occupation and prevent a two-state solution,” he said and added that no amount of words was enough to condemn the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

He acknowledged the determination of Iran and the Palestinian people to respond to and avenge the criminal assassinations by Israel and the violation of international law.

“We must not fulfil Netanyahu’s design for a wider war and such grave action must be avenged,” Dar said.

Dar, who is also the foreign minister, stated that as Pakistan prepares to take its seat on January 1, 2025, at the UNSC for the two-year term 2025-2026, it would be among its top priorities to advance global peace, including mobilising political and diplomatic support for addressing long-standing disputes and conflicts, especially the Palestinian issue and the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.