Ahead of scheduled US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Israel on Friday (local time) hit out at Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif after the latter accused Jerusalem of committing genocide in Lebanon.
In a post on X, the Defence Minister of the country which is mediating the US-Iran ceasefire negotiations, dubbed Israel “evil and a curse for humanity, “cancerous” and “to get rid of European jews.”
Asif claimed that as “peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated.”
“I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell,” he added.
Israel Reacts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded to Pakistani Minister’s remarks and said that the latter’s “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,” it said.
The Prime Minister’s Office:
Pakistan Defence Minister’s 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.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 9, 2026
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also criticised Asif’s remarks, calling them openly antisemitic and inappropriate for a country that says it wants to mediate peace.
He also agreed with the Prime Minister’s Office, saying that describing Israel as “cancerous” is essentially the same as calling for its destruction.
Sa’ar added that Israel will continue to defend itself against groups that threaten to destroy it.
Meanwhile, the stage is set as Pakistan prepares to host delegations from the United States and Iran for negotiations over the ongoing war in West Asia. As per the talks schedule, arrivals of delegations are set to begin late Friday night and continue into Saturday.
The White House has said that US Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation to Islamabad “this weekend” for the talks. Along with Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner will be part of the delegation. Senior officials from the White House and the Pentagon will also be part of the negotiation team.
The Iranian side will be led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Reza Amiri Moghadam, along with other officials, will also be part of the delegation.
(With inputs from agencies)
