Targeting of Palestinian children in Gaza: President concerned at UN findings

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday expressed deep concern over the findings of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry regarding the situation in Gaza, and termed the reported targeting of Palestinian children represented a grave humanitarian tragedy and a failure of the international community.

In a message posted on his official X handle, President Zardari said he was “deeply disturbed” by the commission’s findings, which concluded that Palestinian children in Gaza had been deliberately targeted, resulting in unprecedented loss of innocent lives and immense suffering.

Referring to reports that more than 20,000 children had been killed, the president described the deaths as a stain on our collective conscience and stressed that the international community could not remain indifferent in the face of such suffering.

President Zardari said Pakistan strongly condemned the reported atrocities and called for immediate accountability for those responsible.

He urged the international community, particularly influential countries, to impose a meaningful cost on Israel for what he described as crimes against Palestinian civilians and to take effective measures to prevent their recurrence.

The president also reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding support for the Palestinian people and called for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza. He emphasized the need to ensure the protection of Palestinian children in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.