Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has triggered a strong diplomatic reaction after making critical remarks about Israel following recent airstrikes in Lebanon during a fragile US-Iran ceasefire period.
In a social media post that was later deleted, Asif strongly condemned Israel’s military actions, accusing it of causing civilian casualties in Gaza and Lebanon and describing its actions in highly charged language. He also linked the timing of the strikes to ongoing peace efforts in the region.
Khawaja Asif had posted on social media platform X, alleging that innocent civilians were being killed in Israeli operations and describing Israel as a “cancerous state.” His post also linked ongoing diplomatic talks in Islamabad with what he called continued violence in the region. The post has since been removed from X.
The comments quickly drew an official response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the remarks “outrageous” and said such statements were unacceptable from any government, particularly one involved in peace-related discussions.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also responded strongly, accusing Pakistan’s leadership of promoting hostile rhetoric and warning that such language could be seen as encouraging violence. Israeli officials stressed that they would continue to defend their national security interests.
Following backlash, Khawaja Asif removed the post from social media. However, the incident has already escalated into a wider diplomatic exchange, marking a rare public confrontation between Pakistan and Israel, two countries that do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, where recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon have intensified regional instability. The situation has further complicated ongoing international efforts aimed at sustaining a fragile ceasefire involving the US, Iran, and other regional actors.
