Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif deleted a social media post in which he called Israel a “curse for humanity” and a “cancerous state,” as tensions rose following Israeli strikes on Hezbollah after the Iran ceasefire took effect on Wednesday.
In the post, Asif wrote that “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 [sic] burn in hell.” The post was later removed.
The remarks came as diplomatic efforts continued in Pakistan’s capital, where talks are aimed at addressing the broader conflict involving Iran. The ceasefire arrangement, mediated by Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Asim Munir, was reportedly intended to include Lebanon as part of the truce framework.
Subsequent developments indicated that Lebanon would not be included under the ceasefire terms. President Donald Trump and Israel later clarified that the Lebanese front would be treated as a separate conflict.
On Thursday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested that his cabinet begin direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” with the stated goal of disarming Hezbollah and working toward a peace arrangement between the two countries.
Israeli officials said the proposed talks would proceed without a ceasefire in place, indicating that negotiations would be conducted “under fire.”
The developments reflect continued military activity alongside diplomatic initiatives, as efforts to expand the ceasefire framework have not extended to the situation in Lebanon.
