Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Wednesday, strongly denounced the continued incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers, carried out under the protection of occupying forces and encouraged by senior Israeli ministers.

Speaking at the Ministerial Meeting on the “Deteriorating Situation in Occupied East Jerusalem” held in Amman, Jordan, Dar said Israel’s actions deliberately undermine the religious and historical status of Jerusalem, provoking the sentiments of billions of Muslims worldwide.

He cautioned that such provocations threaten regional peace and stability and risk dragging followers of different faiths into a wider conflict. “We cannot and must not allow that,” he emphasised.

The DPM/FM further said Pakistan condemned such Israeli actions and provocations in the strongest possible terms.

“Let there be no ambiguity: Israel has no sovereignty over Occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. All measures seeking to alter their character or status are null and void and without legal effect,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said.

Dar said Pakistan reaffirmed its support for the historic and special role of the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem and recognises the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as the legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The entire 144-dunum area was an exclusive area of a Muslim place of worship, and any attempt to impose division is unacceptable and must be rejected unequivocally, he added.

Terming illegal actions of Israel, the occupying power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the Occupied East Jerusalem, he said these continued to threaten the sanctity and historic character of the Holy Sites, undermine international law, disregard relevant UN Security Council resolutions and further erode the prospect for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.

“We also remain deeply concerned by the continued expansion of illegal settlements, the establishment of new settlement outposts, escalating settler violence and continued oppression of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the West Bank,” he added.

The DPM/FM said these policies violated international humanitarian law, defied the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and further entrenched an unlawful occupation.

He observed that impunity for these grave violations had emboldened the occupying Power to persist with policies that undermined viability of a Palestinian State and threaten regional peace and security.

In Gaza, Dar said, the humanitarian situation is extremely fragile. The ceasefire and the implementation of elements of the Peace Plan have yielded some improvements. However, 59 per cent of the population still faces crisis-level food insecurity.

Notably, since the ceasefire, he said, over 1,100 Palestinians had been killed. That called into question the full and faithful implementation of the plan.

Nearly two million people remained confined to just 30 per cent of Gaza’s territory, enduring miserable living conditions, he added.

While the ceasefire and President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict had provided an important opportunity to alleviate humanitarian suffering and advance a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, he stressed the current moment required collective responsibility to preserve the opportunity for peace.

In light of these developments, the DPM/FM Dar said the Arab and Islamic countries must act with unity, resolve and collective action.

He urged reaffirming protection of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites by demanding an immediate halt to violations at Al-Aqsa, preserving the historical and legal status quo, and ensuring unrestricted access.

He called for rejecting illegal Israeli settlements, annexation, and displacement in line with international law and UN resolutions.

Dar emphasised support for implementing the Gaza peace plan, strengthening Arab and Islamic coordination at the UN, ensuring accountability for crimes against civilians, and advancing a just political solution based on lasting peace and international laws.

He said Pakistan welcomed developments under the Board of Peace towards implementation of the process of disarmament under the Gaza Peace Plan and appreciated the efforts of the mediating countries, including the United States of America, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, in achieving this progress.

He expressed the hope that with these developments, concrete steps would be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan.