Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have welcomed Jordan’s proposal to convene a meeting of Arab and Islamic countries to discuss the deteriorating situation in Palestine, particularly in occupied East Jerusalem, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
The announcement followed a telephone conversation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
During the call, the two ministers reviewed regional and international developments, including the latest situation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The Foreign Ministry said both sides endorsed Jordan’s initiative to bring together Arab and Islamic nations to address developments in Palestine, especially in occupied East Jerusalem, and agreed to maintain close coordination on regional issues.
In a separate telephone conversation, Dar also spoke with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, with the two ministers exchanging views on regional and international developments, including the situation in Palestine and occupied East Jerusalem.
The diplomatic contacts come amid continuing Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces conduct frequent raids, arrests and operations targeting Palestinian communities.
Violence in the territory has escalated sharply since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023. According to official Palestinian figures, at least 1,182 Palestinians have been killed, around 13,000 injured and nearly 24,000 arrested in the occupied West Bank during that period.
The latest surge in tensions follows clashes on Friday in the town of Tell, near Nablus, in which four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed during confrontations involving Israeli settlers, Palestinian residents and Israeli forces.