Pakistan welcomes Gaza ceasefire announcement, says Israel’s occupation of Palestine must end

Pakistan has welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which came into force on Friday after 11 days of deadly fighting.

Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children and injured 1,900. A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet unanimously accepted the recommendations to accept an Egyptian initiative for an unconditional ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who is in New York and recently addressed an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Palestine, welcomed the truce.

"This is the power of collective, unified action; this is the effort of every person and every nation, together for a just cause," Qureshi tweeted. He hoped that this ceasefire is the first step towards peace in Palestine.

In another tweet, the foreign minister said that Israel’s occupation of Palestine must end, and illegal settlements and 'apartheid like regime imposed in the occupied territories must be dismantled'.

"Implementation of UN resolution for establishment of independent and contiguous Palestinian State with Al-Quds Al Sharif as its capital, imperative," Qureshi said.

In his address to UNGA on Thursday, Qureshi urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to issue a call for an end to Israel's atrocities against the Palestinians in Gaza. He further said that it was appalling that the UNSC had been unable to exercise its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.

"It is time to say enough. The voice of the Palestinian people cannot and will not be silenced. We, the representatives of the Islamic world, are here to speak with them and for them," Qureshi said.