As attention remains fixed on a managed ceasefire and relief for Gaza, the quieter front in the West Bank is being reshaped in ways that make a viable Palestinian state harder to imagine.
Against this backdrop, the remarks attributed to the US ambassador in Israel, invoking an expansionist, scripture-based map of the region, suggesting borders that would extend from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Iraq, while implying, “It would be fine if (Israel) took it all,” were more than a diplomatic faux pas. They reflected a dangerous permissiveness toward maximalist narratives that have long existed on the margins but are now edging closer to official respectability. Expectedly, they triggered a wave of condemnation from countries across the region. A joint statement from foreign ministers of Pakistan and thirteen other Muslim nations, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, also expressed “profound concern,” formally rejected illegal measures in the West Bank and condemned the “Greater Israel” rhetoric.
Words, however, are only part of the story. Human Rights Watch has documented forced displacement from West Bank refugee camps in early 2025 – about 32,000 Palestinians removed from Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams – describing the conduct as amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Authority over land, planning and enforcement is increasingly being shifted in ways that make the occupation look less like a temporary military arrangement and more like permanent integration, without the legal clarity (or accountability) of formal annexation.
The International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 advisory opinion, concluded that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful and that states have obligations not to recognise the situation as legal. Still, we cannot deny how the global community has largely confined its response to what more and more resembles lip service.
A second pillar of the emerging regional order is the strategic alliance between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, against what Netanyahu called “both the radical Shiite axis, which we have hit very hard, and also the emerging axis – the radical Sunni axis.” This cooperation encompasses defence and high-tech sectors, intending to create a pincer effect on Pakistan. Islamabad has, nonetheless, condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and warned that any threat to its sovereignty would invite a firm response.
Notwithstanding the regional headwinds, our position on Palestine has long been anchored in international law and the right of an occupied people to statehood. That stance remains correct. But it must be pursued with diplomatic effectiveness. Islamabad should work with like-minded states to press for concrete measures that protect civilians, resist unilateral territorial change, and uphold the international consensus, including through multilateral forums.
There is also a warning here for all middle powers. When might is allowed to displace law in one theatre, it sets a precedent that weakens every state that depends on rules rather than coercion for its security. *