Any attempt to forcibly relocate Palestinians is ethnic cleansing: Ishaq Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that forcing Palestinians out of Gaza or the West Bank is a severe violation of international law, constituting ethnic cleansing and a war crime.

Speaking at the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ Extraordinary Session in Jeddah, Ishaq Dar stressed upon the Muslim Ummah to make it unequivocally clear that any such attempt is unacceptable.

“The OIC must collectively oppose and block any attempt to relocate Palestinians from their homeland, whether through direct coercion or under the guise of humanitarian relief and reconstruction.  Any such move constitutes ethnic cleansing and a grave violation of international law,” he added.

“The OIC must categorically reject any proposal that seeks to eject the Palestinians from their own homeland. No external force has the right to dictate their future to the Palestinians. They must determine their own future, through an exercise of self-determination. The OIC must stand united against any sinister agenda aimed at altering the demography of the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Ishaq Dar presented Pakistan’s urgent recommendations including a full and immediate implementation of the three phases of the ceasefire agreement which included a permanent cessation of hostilities, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, unrestricted humanitarian access, and a comprehensive reconstruction plan.

He said that the destruction of refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, Nur al-Shams, and El Far’a mirrored the devastation in Gaza, adding that Israeli aggression in the West Bank must end.

“Forced displacements, illegal land annexations and settler violence must be reversed in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions 2720 (2024) and 2334 (2016). The legal and historical status of Al-Haram Al-Sharif/Al-Aqsa Mosque must be upheld,” Ishaq Dar said.

He said the forced displacement of Palestinians must be recognised as a red line. He said that they must ensure the revival of a credible and irreversible political process toward a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

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“This is the only viable path to durable peace. The OIC must mobilize its collective influence to press for the recognition of the state of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations,” Foreign Office Spokesperson, in a press release, quoted him as saying.

The upcoming June Conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, the Ishaq Dar said would be an important opportunity for the peaceful resolution of the Palestinian Question and the implementation of the two-state solution.

“The fact that the Palestinians have been taken on board in finalizing the Plan and are envisaged to hold key roles in shaping their future imparts further credence to the Plan. It also manifests the pan-Islamic spirit of solidarity and unanimity on the issue of Palestine,” he added.

Ishaq Dar regretted that the international humanitarian law (IHL) remained under brazen assault in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) which must stop. Israel must be held accountable for its serious violations and grave breaches, for its willful and wanton disregard of IHL.

“The UNGA last year mandated the convening of a Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. We regret that contrary to our expectations, the Conference of High Contracting Parties could not take place in Geneva and deliver on its mandate,” he added.

The deputy prime minister said that Gaza endured one of the darkest chapters in its history. More than 48,000 innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children, had been killed mercilessly. The entire fabric of Gaza’s society had been torn apart, with more than 90% of its infrastructure -including homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and places of worship – reduced to rubble.

“This is not just destruction; it is an assault on an entire peoples’ existence. The scale of suffering is beyond condemnation; it demands immediate, decisive and united action from the Muslim world,” he added.