House strongly condemns Israel’s settlement expansion and the displacement of Palestinians
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday, strongly condemning and rejecting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about a plan to ally with India and other countries to counter Muslim states.
The resolution expressed concern over what it described as provocative narratives that threaten the unity of the Muslim Ummah.
The resolution was passed in response to comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during a Cabinet meeting on Sunday ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tel Aviv, that said that Israel “will create an entire system — essentially a kind of hexagon of alliances — around or within the Middle East”.
Modi will arrive on Wednesday and deliver a speech before the Knesset, or Israeli parliament. Netanyahu listed India, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration and unnamed Arab, African and Asian countries as members of the proposed alliance.
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The aim is “to create an axis of countries that see reality, the challenges, and the goals in the same way, in contrast to the radical axes”, he said. “Both the radical Shia axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis — the radical Sunni axis.”
The resolution in the House today, moved by Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan on behalf of all political parties, condemned Israel’s policies and actions, particularly its disregard for international law, the United Nation (UN) Charter, and key UN resolutions.
The Senate strongly criticised any attempts to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Palestinian territories, including holy sites, and condemned Israel’s settlement expansion and the displacement of Palestinians.
“The Senate takes strong exception to statements that undermine regional stability and international legal norms,” the resolution stated.
The House also rejected Israel’s reported recognition of Somaliland’s independence, deeming it inconsistent with international principles, and reaffirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination.
In December, Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, sparking strong condemnation from Muslim nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
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The resolution called for an immediate and full Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and stressed the importance of increased humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. It further urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for actions that violate international humanitarian and human rights laws.
The Senate reiterated its unwavering support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The resolution also called for efforts towards the early recovery and reconstruction of Palestine.
Last week, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said it “would be fine” if Israel took control of territory described in a biblical passage as stretching from the Nile River to the Euphrates, remarks he made during a televised interview that sparked broad attention after excerpts circulated online.
Huckabee made the comments during an appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show, hosted by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. The discussion centreed on religious texts, Israel’s modern borders, and the relationship between theology and geopolitics.
Carlson said the description would encompass large parts of what is now the Middle East and asked Huckabee whether Israel therefore had a right to that land.
“So God gave that land — basically the entire Middle East,” Carlson said, asking Huckabee whether Israel therefore had a right to that territory.
“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee replied.
Following the statement, Pakistan and 13 other countries strongly condemned the remarks.
In a joint statement, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, League of Arab States and Gulf Cooperation Council, expressed “profound concern”.
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The ministers said Huckabee’s remarks contradicted “the vision put forward by US President Donald Trump, as well as the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”, which they said aimed to contain escalation and create a political path toward a settlement ensuring Palestinians had an independent state.
