ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said on Tuesday the United States (US) had effectively given Israel a licence to carry out a massacre of Palestinians and called upon Muslim countries, particularly Pakistan, to take a leadership role in resolving the Palestine issue.
He asserted that the sentiments of the Muslim Ummah must be represented with dignity, “rather than currying favour with Trump”. In a video message marking two years of Israeli aggression in Gaza, the JI chief praised the people of Gaza and Hamas for their patience, steadfastness, and diplomatic efforts despite extreme atrocities.
He said Palestinians had demonstrated that they were a great nation. Highlighting Hamas’ diplomatic response to Trump’s so-called 20-point peace plan, he noted that Israel, despite its military power and US support, had been compelled to enter negotiations due to Palestinian resistance.
“Jamaat-e-Islami wants peace in Palestine. The solution to the Palestinian issue lies only in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” he said. He urged the Pakistan government “to stop advocating diplomatic solutions to appease the US and instead support a united Palestine”.
“People of conscience worldwide are raising their voices for Palestinians and Hamas, and Pakistani political parties and activists should compel their leadership to condemn Israel rather than targeting those who express solidarity with Gaza,” he said.
Hafiz Naeem called upon Pakistan, together with other Islamic nations, to form a force to break the siege of Gaza. He noted that JI’s call for solidarity with Palestinians was observed nationwide on October 7, with “Million Marches” held in Lahore on October 4, Karachi on October 5, and Peshawar scheduled for October 12.
The JI chief further said that the US had provided Israel with $21 billion in military aid since October 2023, adding: “Over the past two years, Israeli atrocities in Gaza have resulted in more than 67,000 Palestinian deaths, including 70 per cent children and women”. He described the resilience and resistance of Gaza’s people and Hamas as historic and inspiring, noting that “the ongoing conflict has divided the world into oppressors—Israel, US and allied governments—and the people of conscience standing with Palestine”.
He criticised Muslim rulers “for remaining subservient to the US instead of taking a proactive role”. Expressing satisfaction over the release of former JI Senator Mushtaq Khan from Israeli custody, Hafiz Naeem condemned the inhumane treatment he and other Global Sumud Flotilla activists faced in Israeli prisons. He reaffirmed that the struggle for Palestinian freedom “has now become an international movement that neither Israel nor its patron US can stop”.