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Israel on Thursday put Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif in his place, strongly objecting to the latter's statement and questioning Pakistan's neutrality as a mediator in US-Iran negotiations.
In a statement, Israel's Prime Minister's Office rebuked Khwaja Asif, stating that his "call for Israel's annihilation is outrageous" and slammed Pakistan's government over its conduct. "Pakistan Defence Minister's call for Israel's annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace," Israel's Prime Minister's Office said. This comes after Khwaja Asif, in a post on X, called Israel "evil and a curse for humanity" accusing it of committing "genocide" in Lebanon while peace negotiations are underway. "Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated," he said. "I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell," he added. The Pakistan Defence Minister's statement has put the fragile ceasefire at more risk, even before the commencement of the negotiations in Islamabad. This adds more embarrassment after Pakistan's fumble in clearly defining the terms of the two-week ceasefire. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif had claimed that Lebanon was also a part of the peace deal--a claim firmly dismissed by both US President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Netanyahu again asserted that there is "no ceasefire in Lebanon" and vowed to continue military operations with "full force" against Hezbollah. "I wish to inform you: There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security," he said. (ANI)
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