IRS Roundtable Calls For Decisive Action To End Israeli Aggression

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2025) The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) convened a high-profile roundtable on “The Palestinian Question and Regional Stability: Policy Imperatives for Pakistan and Beyond”, issuing a clarion call for urgent international action to end the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

The session, chaired by IRS President Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, brought together leading diplomats and senior officials, including Ambassador Zohair Mohammad Hamdallah Zaid, the Palestinian envoy to Pakistan, and veteran diplomat Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, said a press release issued on Friday.

The discussion focused on the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the historical and political dimensions of the Palestinian struggle, and its implications for regional stability and Pakistan's foreign policy.

Opening the session, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem described the unprecedented destruction in Gaza, noting that more than 64,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed and 80 percent of buildings have been demolished. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s longstanding position in support of a two-state solution, Palestinian self-determination and consistent advocacy in international forums.

Delivering the keynote address, Ambassador Zohair Zaid, the Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan, emphasized that the conflict is rooted not in religion but in dispossession, with Palestine historically a land for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. “Palestine is not just a national issue. It is a land for all believers, Muslims, Christians and Jews. Yet it has been turned into an instrument to divide our region and keep it unstable,” he said.

Zaid drew attention to the human cost of occupation, pointing to mass displacement, systematic destruction of villages and continuing settlement expansion. He stressed that “what threatens Israel most is not our weapons, but our very existence on this land.” Despite the immense suffering, he reaffirmed Palestinian resilience. Ambassador Zaid concluded with a call for decisive international action: “The world should take practical steps. Put sanctions on Israel. This is the only way that can stop Israeli aggression and bring peace.”

Participants agreed that sustained advocacy, solidarity, and practical measures will be vital to ensuring that justice and peace ultimately prevail in Palestine.