Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has described Israel as "cancerous" and a "curse for humanity", a day after Israel rained down bombs on Lebanon, killing more than 300 Lebanese and wounding some 1200 in just 10 minutes of strikes that were carried out immediately after US and Iran agreed a temporary truce.
"Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are under way in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon," Asif wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
"Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated," he added.
Asif continued: "I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell."
Iran this week agreed to a fragile two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, with the United States that could lead to peace negotiations after threats of annihilation from US President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, officials from the US and Iran are scheduled to meet for negotiations in Islamabad, which is mediating the crucial ceasefire and hosting backchannel talks.
However, immediately after Pakistan announced a truce between the US and Iran, Israel bombarded over 100 areas in Lebanon, perpetrating one of the worst mass killings in Lebanon since the end of the Arab country’s civil war in 1990.
Furious with the indiscriminate attacks that has mostly killed civilians, according to local media, Pakistan immediately demanded an end to Israeli massacres in Lebanon and warned of possible Israeli sabotage to US-Iran talks.
Islamabad and Iran say that Lebanon was part of a US-Iran truce deal; however, Israel and the US deny this.
Beirut has requested Pakistan to ensure Lebanon remains part of wider US-Iran truce.
Meanwhile, responding to Asif, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed that his "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."
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar claimed that "calling the Jewish state 'cancerous' is effectively calling for its annihilation."
"Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction," said Sa'ar.
