Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s attacks in Gaza, urges global intervention

Pakistan condemned on Thursday the continued aggression and atrocities committed by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, saying that these actions demonstrates Israel’s determination to escalate tensions and pursue its expansionist agenda at the expense of regional peace.

“Pakistan denounces Israel’s latest military offensive aimed at establishing new security corridors, including the illegal seizure of the Morag Corridor and further annexation of Palestinian land,” Foreign Office (FO) said in a press release issued today.

It said that the deliberate targeting of a UN-run clinic in Jabalia, which sheltered over 700 displaced civilians, demonstrates Israel’s blatant disregard for international law and humanitarian principles.

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“These actions, coupled with Israel’s clear intent to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their homeland, constitute war crimes under international law,” FO said.

Of particular concern is the sacrilegious storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex by Israeli occupying forces, during the holy occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, the FO said, adding that this provocative act not only violates the sanctity of one of Islam’s holiest sites “but also demonstrates Israel’s determination to escalate tensions and pursue its expansionist agenda at the expense of regional peace”.

“The massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians through relentless bombardment and ground operations are both morally reprehensible and legally indefensible.

Such blatant violations of international law must stop forthwith.“

The FO reaffirmed Pakistan unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, saying that the international community must act decisively to prevent further loss of innocent lives and preserve the sanctity of holy sites.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military is dividing Gaza and “seizing territory” to force Hamas to free hostages held in the Palestinian territory.

The military is “dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that (Hamas) will return our hostages”, Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that Israel “is seizing territory, striking terrorists, and destroying infrastructure”.

He added that the army is “taking control of the ‘Morag Axis’”, a strip of land that is expected to run between the southern governorates of Khan Yunis and Rafah.

Israel resumed major air strikes on the Palestinian territory on March 18, after talks on next steps in a six-week truce broke down.

Since March 18, at least 1,066 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures last updated by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry on Wednesday, AFP reported .

In total, 50,423 people have been killed since the start of the war triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, according to the ministry’s figures, which the United Nations views as reliable.