Pakistan on Monday called for Israel’s accountability after loss of numerous civilian lives in recent airstrike carried out by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza.
The Foreign Office, in a statement, said: “Pakistan extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people during this period of profound suffering.”
Slamming Israel, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the egregious attack constituted yet another serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, underscoring the scale and severity of the crimes perpetrated by the occupying power.
It added that the Pakistani government called upon the international community to take immediate and decisive action to end Israeli impunity, ensure the protection of civilians, and hold Israel accountable for its actions.
Pakistan reiterated its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause and advocates for a just, sustainable, and peaceful resolution, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions that uphold the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
“This includes the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous Palestinian State, based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” it concluded.
Palestinians reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks on Monday in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive against Hamas “fairly quickly”, Reuters reported.
An airstrike also killed six journalists including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif in a tent at Gaza City’s Al Shifa Hospital compound, the deadliest strike against journalists during an Israeli campaign that has lasted more than 22 months.
Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families westwards from their homes.
Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city, which Hamas says is now sheltering about 1 million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave’s northern edges.
