Pakistan Joins Seven Muslim Nations in Pressing Israel Over Gaza Ceasefire Commitments

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar joined counterparts from seven other Muslim-majority countries in New York on September 21, 2026, pressing Israel to follow through on its Gaza ceasefire commitments — the latest in a series of joint statements Pakistan has co-signed on the issue through the year.

What the joint statement said

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates met on the margins of the 81st UN General Assembly session and expressed deep concern over continued humanitarian suffering in Gaza. The group called on Israel to immediately fulfil its outstanding commitments under the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict — specifically citing the need for immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian and early-recovery supplies, and the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. The statement also stressed the importance of preserving the ceasefire and ending all violations of it.

Part of a sustained diplomatic pattern

This wasn't an isolated statement. The same group of eight countries issued a similar joint statement earlier in September, on the 6th, strongly condemning Israeli statements and proposals advocating the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and categorically rejecting any such attempts as carrying grave implications for regional peace and stability. Taken together, the two statements show a sustained, coordinated diplomatic effort among these governments through the month, rather than a one-off gesture.

Pakistan's specific position on what comes next

Beyond the joint statements, Dar has articulated a more specific Pakistani position on Gaza's postwar future: calling for Palestine-led reconstruction and governance arrangements, with a central role for the Palestinian Authority, and for accountability regarding violations of international law during the conflict. Pakistan's Prime Minister has separately reaffirmed the country's "moral, diplomatic, political support" for the Palestinian cause — language consistent with Pakistan's long-standing foreign policy position, which has never established formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Why this fits into Pakistan's broader UNGA presence this year

This joint statement is one piece of a busier-than-usual diplomatic week for Pakistan at the UN. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's own General Assembly address, scheduled for September 25, is expected to raise both Kashmir and Palestine as core themes, as we've covered separately — underscoring that Gaza sits alongside Kashmir as one of the two international causes Pakistan consistently foregrounds in its multilateral diplomacy, regardless of which other bilateral relationships are in flux in a given year.

Build Better Pakistan's Foreign Desk tracks Pakistan's diplomatic engagement on Gaza and Palestine as part of our ongoing foreign policy coverage.