PM Shehbaz condemns Israeli plan to take control of Gaza city

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned the Israeli cabinet’s recent approval of a plan to take control of Gaza City, calling the move illegal, illegitimate, and a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

In a statement posted on his official X account, the prime minister warned that the development would further worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and derail any remaining prospects for peace in the region.

“We strongly condemn the Israeli cabinet’s approval of a plan to take illegal and illegitimate control of Gaza City. This amounts to a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine,” PM Shehbaz stated.

He stressed that the root cause of the conflict is Israel’s longstanding illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, which continues to obstruct any meaningful path toward lasting peace. “As long as this occupation endures, peace will remain elusive,” he added.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people, the Prime Minister reiterated their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resolutions.

Calling on the international community, PM Sharif urged urgent intervention to stop Israel’s “unwarranted aggression,” to protect innocent civilians, and to ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel’s political-security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City early on Friday, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of the entire strip despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating almost two-year-old war.

“The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.

Gaza City, in the north of the strip, is the largest city in the enclave.

Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing an Israeli official, said on X the plan involved evacuating Palestinian civilians from Gaza City and launching a ground offensive there.