Pakistan has called for the international community to intervene to protect Palestinian civilians and end the escalating hostilities in Israel-Gaza conflict.
The call came in the wake of Israel's retaliatory air strikes in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's operation "Al-Aqsa Storm" which saw 5,000 rockets being launched into Israel from Gaza, followed by gunmen infiltrating areas in the southern region of the country.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani expressed solidarity with Palestine against Israeli oppression and called for an immediate end to the violence and oppression by Israeli occupation forces.
"Pakistan is deeply concerned by the escalating hostility in the Middle East and the loss of innocent lives. We stand in solidarity with Palestinians and call for an immediate end to the violence and oppression by Israeli occupation forces," Jilani wrote on his X account.
of Palestine must be established on the basis of pre-1967 borders and UN resolutions. The international community needs to intervene to bring an end to the conflict, protect civilians, and work towards a lasting peace in the Middle East.
— Jalil Abbas Jilani (@JalilJilani) October 8, 2023
The foreign minister also expressed concern over the volatile situation and the loss of precious Palestinian lives.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 370 Palestinians have been martyred, including 20 children, and nearly 2,000 wounded by Israeli air strikes in Gaza since Saturday.
Israeli forces battled holdout Hamas fighters and pounded targets in the Gaza Strip with the army saying tens of thousands of soldiers were deployed in southern desert regions near the coastal enclave, to rescue Israeli hostages and then evacuate the entire region within 24 hours.
Senior military officers were among those killed in fighting near Gaza, the Israeli military said.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault that had begun in Gaza, a narrow strip that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Gazans have lived under an Israeli blockade for 16 years.
Pakistan concerned over human cost of escalation
President Arif Alvi on Sunday condemned the brutalization of Palestinian rights.
Urging the international community to intervene, the president stressed the need to adhere to UN resolutions.
Progress towards peace cannot materialise without condemnation of usurpation & brutalisation of Palestinian rights & people by Israel. Continuous annexation of land, illegal settlements, disproportionate reactions & killings. The result is no hope & no progress towards peace.…
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) October 8, 2023
"Progress towards peace cannot materialise without condemnation of usurpation & brutalisation of Palestinian rights & people by Israel [...] Time has come to move forward in line with UN resolutions. The international community can play a big role today towards world peace," Dr Alvi wrote on his Twitter account.
A day earlier, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) had also expressed concerns over the human cost of the escalating situation pertaining to the latest Palestine-Israel conflict after Hamas launched an attack against the occupying forces, the biggest in years.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar was also heartbroken by the escalating violence in the Middle East, which underscores the urgent need to "address the Palestine Question".
"We urge restraint and protection of civilians. Enduring peace in the Middle East lies in a two-state solution with a viable, contiguous, sovereign State of Palestine," the premier said.
