'Burn In Hell': Pakistan's Khawaja Asif Calls Israel 'Evil, Cancerous State' Amid Fragile Truce; Netanyahu Hits Back

New Delhi: Ahead of scheduled US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, a diplomatic rift emerged between Israel and Pakistan with Israeli officials expressing doubt regarding Pakistan's suitability as a mediator, following a statement from Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, in which he accused Israel of carrying out "genocide" in Lebanon.

Tearing into Pakistan, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office labeled Asif’s remarks as “outrageous,” stating that his “call for Israel’s annihilation” is intolerable. Officials questioned the validity of such statements from a nation seeking to be viewed as a neutral mediator in the current peace negotiations.

“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,” the statement said.

Backlash follows

The controversy stems from a series of blunt posts on X by Asif, who characterized Israel as "evil and a curse for humanity." He further claimed that "genocide is being committed in Lebanon," despite the fact that peace negotiations were simultaneously taking place in Islamabad.

“Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated,” he wrote.

Asif's comments arrived as Pakistan seeks to serve as a diplomatic intermediary in the escalating West Asia conflict, which includes hosting negotiations aimed at a U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

In a notably aggressive statement, Asif further remarked  “I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell.”

FM Gideon Sa'ar denounces remarks

In a strong-worded response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rebuked Pakistan over its Defence Minister's statement, calling jewish state "cancerous", which Sa'ar said is “calling for Israel's annihilation.” 

"Israel views very gravely these blatant antisemitic blood libels from a government claiming to "mediate peace". Calling the Jewish state "cancerous" is effectively calling for its annihilation. Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction," Sa'ar said in a post on X.

Lebanon conflict

Following the escalation of conflict in Lebanon, which began on March 2 when Hezbollah launched rocket attacks against Israel to avenge the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the region remains in a state of high tension.

Despite a fragile, 48-hour-old truce brokered between Washington and Tehran, Israel launched its most devastating strikes on Lebanon this Wednesday, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

A diplomatic rift has emerged regarding the scope of this ceasefire. While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-acting as a regional mediator- claimed the suspension of hostilities applied "everywhere," including Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Trump administration have flatly contradicted this. U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, clarified that Lebanon was excluded from the two-week pause in attacks against Iran.

In a shift toward diplomacy, Netanyahu has instructed his cabinet to pursue direct negotiations aimed at disarming Hezbollah. To facilitate this, U.S. State Department officials confirmed that representatives from Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to meet for talks in Washington next week.

Fragile ceasefire at risk

The Pakistan Defence Minister's statement has put the fragile ceasefire at more risk, even before the commencement of the negotiations in Islamabad.

This adds more embarrassment after Pakistan's fumble in clearly defining the terms of the two-week ceasefire. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif had claimed that Lebanon was also a part of the peace deal--a claim firmly dismissed by both US President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu again asserted that there is "no ceasefire in Lebanon" and vowed to continue military operations with "full force" against Hezbollah.

"I wish to inform you: There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security," he said.