Israel must be held accountable for war crimes: Ishaq Dar

DOHA (Dunya News) -  Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Speaking at the preparatory ministerial meeting of the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha on Sunday, he said Israel should not be allowed to get away with attacking Islamic countries and killing people with impunity.

Ishaq Dar further emphasized the creation of an Arab-Islamic task force to monitor the Israeli designs in the region and adopt effective deterrent and offensive measures in a synchronized manner to ward off Israeli expansionist designs.

He urged the OIC countries to pursue the suspension of Israel's membership of the United Nations. Following up on this step would be a clear message of seriousness by the Ummah. He said the member states should actively consider implementing additional punitive measures against Israel, as a means to reinforce accountability and deter further violations of international law.

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The Deputy Prime Minister urged the UN Security Council to urgently demand Israel for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire, release of hostages and exchange of Palestinian prisoners.

He also called for ensuring unfettered, sustained and secure humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and UN personnel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Ishaq Dar demanded the revival of a genuine and time-bound political process to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN and OIC resolutions.

Reaffirming Pakistan's steadfast commitment to the cause of global peace, he said Islamabad will continue to work with the OIC and Arab partners to mobilize global support towards this end.