Ishaq Dar Says Israeli Settlements Threaten Future Palestinian State
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has condemned Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, warning that continued expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem poses a serious threat to the territorial viability of a future Palestinian state.
Addressing an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation committee meeting on Palestine, Dar called for urgent attention to the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. He said current diplomatic efforts had created hope for political progress but that the security situation and humanitarian crisis remained serious.
Dar also expressed concern over what he described as continuing violations of the Gaza ceasefire and acknowledged the efforts of countries involved in mediation. He urged OIC members to develop a coordinated diplomatic approach aimed at advancing a durable political settlement.
On the West Bank, Dar said Israeli annexation policies and settlement activity, including in occupied East Jerusalem, posed a major threat to the geographical integrity of a future Palestinian state. He also condemned Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing them as violations of international law and the historic status of holy sites. These statements reflect Pakistan’s official diplomatic position.
Pakistan’s broader position is independently documented by the Foreign Ministry. On September 9, Islamabad welcomed Britain’s decision to ban items originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and said continued settlement expansion violated international law and undermined efforts towards a two-state solution.
Pakistan has consistently supported the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif — East Jerusalem — as its capital. Dar reiterated that position at a ministerial meeting in Amman in August.
The international legal context also supports describing Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory as illegal. A 2026 UN Economic and Social Council resolution reaffirmed that settlement construction and expansion, including in East Jerusalem, are illegal and called for settlement activity to cease. Israel disputes international interpretations concerning aspects of the settlements and cites historical and security claims.
Settlement activity has recently drawn renewed international scrutiny. Reuters reported on September 17 that Israel had added a tender for 2,167 housing units to its E1 settlement expansion plan, taking the planned total to 3,401 units. Critics argue that the E1 project could undermine the territorial continuity of a prospective Palestinian state, while Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly backed the project and said it would prevent Palestinian statehood.
Dar said a sustainable and credible political process was necessary for establishing an independent Palestinian state and called on the OIC to play an active role in diplomatic efforts.
