At Arab-Islamic summit, PM demands int'l community hold Israel accountable for war crimes

• PM says Gaza needs reprieve and immediate and complete ceasefire.
• Kakar suggests possibility of initiating ICJ proceedings against Israel.
• PM Kakar meets Saudi Crown Prince MBS on sidelines of summit.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Saturday demanded the international community hold Israel accountable for its war and humanitarian crimes as the occupation forces pound Gaza indiscriminately.

The prime minister made the statement during a Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit, which brought together leaders from the Arab and Islamic world to discuss the current worsening situation in Gaza and the future strategy.

Dozens of leaders including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was welcomed back into the Arab League earlier this year, attended the meeting.

Kakar suggested that the Arab and Islamic countries should explore the possibility of initiating proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for its war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Genocide Convention and under the interim measures request.

"The UN secretary-general could be requested to establish a special commission of inquiry to investigate Israel’s war crimes and crimes against humanity since October 7," the prime minister said.

Israel — by targeting schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, and even refugee camps where terrified civilians have taken shelter — has so far killed more than 11,000 people, including over 5,000 children.

The prime minister further said that the Muslim nations should also demand the establishment of an international mechanism and call for a halt to illegal settlements by Israel.

"We call for a political solution for which it is imperative that conditions are created for a dialogue between the Palestinians and Israel to evolve a way forward through the two-state solution," he reiterated.

The prime minister said a permanent solution to the conflict was in the establishment of a secure, viable, contiguous, and sovereign state of Palestine on the basis of pre-June 1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and urged upon the Muslim countries to work towards that end.

Gaza urgently needs reprieve and an immediate and complete ceasefire, he said.

Kakar said Israel must be forced to halt its indiscriminate aerial bombardments and ground invasions in compliance with international humanitarian and human rights laws, and should ensure immediate lifting of the blockage and ensure rapid and unhindered humanitarian aid supply.

Kakar meets MBS

On the sidelines of the ongoing Joint Arab- Islamic Extraordinary Summit, the prime minister also met Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

They discussed the latest situation caused by the aggression of the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Kakar appreciated the role and efforts of Saudi Arabia, for promoting the Palestinian cause.

He thanked the Saudi leadership for timely convening the summit to evolve Joint Arab-Islamic Action on the deteriorating situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The two leaders underlined the need for urgent international collaboration geared towards stopping Israel from brutal and indiscriminate aggression against the besieged and innocent Palestinians.

They further emphasized the urgency of lifting the blockade of Occupied Gaza to facilitate the delivery of vital humanitarian aid and medical assistance to the affected population.

The prime minister denounced the Israeli action of bombing hospitals, refugee camps, schools, and residential buildings, resulting in the death of over ten thousand people.

During the meeting, the two leaders also exchanged views on bilateral matters and reaffirmed the resolve to further strengthen the longstanding Pakistan-Saudi relations for a mutually rewarding economic partnership.

— Additional input from APP