Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has called for preventing further escalation of tensions and violence in the Middle East and facilitating complete, durable and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.

In his remarks on the extraordinary Open-Ended Meeting of OIC Executive Committee in Jeddah today, he said that if the Israeli leadership continues to subvert the legally binding demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the entire OIC membership would take several collective measures in response, including imposition of trade and oil sanctions.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said that the control of the Rafah crossing should be handed back to Egypt in order to enhance the provision of humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza and meet their needs for food, medicines, energy and other essential supplies.

Ishaq Dar demanded the earliest withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and the commencement of its reconstruction, as envisaged in the plan approved by the Security Council.

He stressed the need to rapidly secure Palestine's admission as a full member of the United Nation and urgently commence the political and diplomatic process to establish the two State solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State within the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

He said that in order to initiate the establishment of an international judicial mechanism, which would seek "restitution, damages and satisfaction" from Israel for its crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Gaza and hold accountable those responsible for these crimes.

Highlighting the war crimes of Israel, he said that 40,000 innocent Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been mercilessly martyred by Israel.

He said that extremist Israeli leaders want to prolong and expand the war to ensure their own political survival, perpetuate Israeli occupation and prevent a two state solution.

Commenting on the tragic assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Ishaq Dar said that no amount of words is enough to condemn this horrendous act.

He said that we fully understand the determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Palestinian people to respond to and avenge the provocative and criminal assassinations by Israel and the flagrant violation of international law.

He said that we must not fulfill Netanyahu's design for a wider war and such grave action must be avenged.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said on 2nd of this month the National Assembly of Pakistan unanimously passed a strongly-worded resolution condemning the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh as well as the ongoing Israeli atrocities on Palestinians over the past nine months.

Ishaq Dar said that as Pakistan prepares to take its seat on 1st January 2025 at the UNSC for the two-year term 2025-2026, it would be among our top priorities to advance global peace, including mobilizing political and diplomatic support for addressing long standing disputes and conflicts, especially the Palestinian issue and the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.