ISLAMABAD, Feb. 27, 2026 — Pakistan on Friday urged the international community to act decisively to stop what it described as Israel’s de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, calling for a renewed political pathway toward an independent Palestinian state.
Speaking at an extraordinary ministerial session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Israel’s recent decision to approve land registration procedures in parts of the West Bank for the first time since 1967 had “profound implications” for international law and the credibility of the multilateral system.
“Israel continues with impunity to expand illegal settlements and enforce de facto annexation in the Occupied West Bank,” Dar said. He argued that such actions violate the U.N. Charter and undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.
Israel’s move has drawn criticism from Muslim-majority countries as well as several European governments, which say it could facilitate settlement expansion in territory Palestinians seek for a future state.
Call for international action
Dar urged the international community to “decisively act and act now” to halt what he described as violations of international law and to uphold assurances given during diplomatic engagements last year.
He recalled that leaders and foreign ministers from a group of eight Arab-Islamic countries — including Pakistan — met U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September to press for an end to the conflict in Gaza and prevent annexation of the West Bank.
“Assurances were given to us in New York that the annexation of West Bank would not take place,” Dar said, calling the issue a “red line” for any just resolution of the Palestinian question.
Pakistan is part of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic countries, which includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Egypt and Türkiye. Islamabad does not recognize Israel and maintains that lasting peace in the Middle East depends on the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital.
Broader demands
The West Bank, home to nearly three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers excluding East Jerusalem, remains a focal point of the decades-long conflict. Much of the territory is under Israeli military control, while limited self-rule is exercised by the Palestinian Authority in certain areas.
Dar called for an immediate end to what he described as displacement and collective punishment of Palestinians, a ceasefire in Gaza, reconstruction of the enclave and “a credible, irreversible and time-bound political horizon” leading to statehood.
His remarks underscore Pakistan’s continued diplomatic alignment with Muslim-majority states advocating for Palestinian sovereignty, as tensions in the region remain high and prospects for renewed peace talks uncertain.
Leave a Reply