Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to Jeddah on February 26 to attend an emergency Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting at the Foreign Ministers’ level. The session aims to address Israel’s recent actions in the Middle East and Palestine, including illegal land declarations in the occupied West Bank. This matters for Pakistan and the Muslim world as it concerns international law, Palestinian rights, and regional stability.
According to diplomatic sources, Dar will deliver a strong condemnation of Israel’s unlawful policies on behalf of Pakistan. The meeting is expected to generate a collective denunciation of Israel’s political, legal, and demographic changes in Palestinian territories, while exploring a coordinated strategy to oppose these measures. Dar will also hold bilateral talks with Saudi FM Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and other key leaders.
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Israel’s recent expansion of settlements and declaration of West Bank land as Israeli state property has worsened the humanitarian crisis, displacing Palestinian families and raising global concern. The Israeli government approved new measures facilitating settlement purchases, which Palestinians call a “de-facto annexation” of their territory. West Bank remains central to a future independent Palestinian state, though much is under Israeli military control.
Several countries, including Brazil, France, Spain, and Turkey, have condemned Israel’s actions. A joint statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry highlighted the “wide-ranging changes” reclassifying Palestinian land and accelerating illegal settlements. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also announced a strategic regional alliance ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, raising concerns over further geopolitical tension.
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In Pakistan, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning Netanyahu’s remarks and settlement expansion, defending Palestinian rights, and criticizing attempts to alter the legal or historical status of occupied territories, including holy sites. The emergency OIC meeting is expected to reinforce this collective stance of Muslim countries in support of Palestine.