Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said Pakistan considers South Africa’s application in the International Court of Justice as “timely and an important step” towards holding Israel accountable for its atrocities against the Palestinians.

“Pakistan shares the concern raised in the application by South Africa,” Baloch said while addressing her weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

“Israel’s ongoing military aggression and actions constitute war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” she said adding that the actions amount to “genocidal acts”.

“Pakistan firmly believes that the only just solution to the Palestinian question is the creation of an independent viable sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital,” she said.