- Pakistan calls on international community to “hold Israel accountable”
- 17 Palestinians were killed overnight in fresh wave of Israeli strikes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has “strongly” condemned Israel’s “intention to forcibly displace Palestinians”, calling the move a violation of international law and a threat to peace in the region.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the country’s Foreign Office (FO) stated that Israel was intentionally trying to sabotage peace efforts in the region. “It is a deliberate attempt to sabotage efforts for achieving peace and stability in the region,” the Foreign Office said.
The FO said Israel was resorting to “forced displacement” and expanding “illegal settlements” in complete “disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law”.
It called on the “international community to play its role in addressing the humanitarian plight of the civilians and to hold Israel accountable”.
The statement reiterated “unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their just struggle for self-determination and for a sovereign, independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif [Jerusalem] as its capital”.
Israel launches new Gaza assault
Since September 5, Israel has intensified its offensive in Gaza, ordering Palestinians to move to a designated “safe zone”, al-Mawasi. The Guardian reported that Israeli military repeatedly struck the area, with at least 9 people, including 5 children, killed while queuing for water in the so-called safe zone.
According to Reuters, Israel also demolished two high-rise buildings, including the 15-storey Soussi Tower near a UN refugee agency. The occupying forces claimed the buildings housed Hamas infrastructure but provided no evidence.
Overnight strikes late on Saturday killed at least 17 Palestinians, including 6 at the al-Farabi School shelter. Several Palestinians were also killed in attacks on tents and homes in Sheikh Radwan and Remal neighborhoods.
With Israel pushing further into Gaza’s urban centre, around one million residents are being displaced to the south, where ‘safe zones’ have also been attacked, as per AFP.
Death and destruction in Gaza
The nearly two-year siege of Gaza has killed over 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. More than 18,000 children alone have been killed by Israel since October 2023. The occupying power’s war crimes have been termed as “genocide” by several international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International.
Gaza’s population of nearly 2.1 million is enduring a severe humanitarian crisis marked by widespread starvation. Gaza’s health ministry reported that 376 people have died from starvation, including 134 children.
Israel has completely blockaded the enclave, with aid agencies unable to deliver food in the occupied region. The situation has been described by international aid organizations as a “man-made famine”. The United Nations warned of “catastrophic” conditions if the blockade wasn’t lifted.
