Pakistan has strongly criticized Israel’s refusal to withdraw troops from Gaza, calling it a serious setback for a peace plan. At a press conference in Islamabad on August 13, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the refusal would hinder peace efforts and urged Israel to honor its commitments.

Andrabi reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. He said such a state is founded under international law and United Nations resolutions and possesses established international legitimacy as a state. He argued that Israel’s refusal cannot alter the legal and diplomatic realities surrounding the Palestinian statehood issue.

According to Andrabi, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s refusal to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza would create a major obstacle to implementing decisions adopted by the peace board. He said Hamas’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza were two joint commitments. Pakistan said it hopes Israel will comply with those commitments.