June 24, 2002	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, June 23: Pakistan on Sunday condemned the Israeli decision to re-occupy towns in the West Bank, and urged upon the international community to compel Israel to resume meaningful negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesman said that the government of Pakistan condemned the Israeli cabinet decision of June 21, and added that the Israeli military action had already resulted in the loss of 10 lives, including children, with several wounded.

He said the latest armed re-occupation and Israel’s earlier decision to commence construction of a fence encircling Palestinian-controlled areas would not only strangulate the Palestinian economy but also inevitably lead to a further escalation of violence.

The spokesman reiterated Pakistan’s earlier calls to the international community to compel Israel to immediately withdraw its forces from all Palestinian Authority territories, cease its continued aggression against the Palestinian people, and resume meaningful negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.