Pakistan calls for ceasefire, condemns ‘indiscriminate’ Israeli force against Palestinians

Condemning the “indiscriminate and disproportionate” use of force by Israeli authorities against the civilian population in Gaza, Pakistan on Thursday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

During her weekly press briefing, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan was deeply concerned by the deteriorating and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the inhumane blockade and collective punishment by Israeli forces“.

“The decision to cut off electricity, fuel and water supplies was unjust and should be reversed as it would severely impact the lives of millions of people in the enclave.”

“Pakistan had been constantly warning against serious consequences of Israel’s escalatory and provocative actions in recent months.”

She added the “unprecedented gravity of the situation demands urgent intervention by the international community”.

The FO spokesperson urged the United Nations to play a proactive role in facilitating a ceasefire to alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

“The international community must work in concert for a just comprehensive and lasting two-state solution with a viable, sovereign and contiguous state of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Sharif as its capital.”

“Peace in the Middle East will remain elusive in the absence of such a solution,” she said.

The statement comes as death toll in the Gaza Strip rose to at least 1,354, the Hamas health ministry said, with dozens killed since Thursday morning following a massive Israeli bombardment of the enclave.

At least “1,354 citizens have been martyred and 6,049 suffered various injuries”, the ministry said, updating an earlier death toll of around 1,200 that was announced at dawn on Thursday.

‘Palestinian issue be resolved according to the UN resolutions’

On Wednesday, the federal cabinet reiterated the principled stand of the Government of Pakistan that the Palestinian issue should be resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations and the aspirations of the Palestinian people.

A federal cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar.

In a post-cabinet media briefing, Federal Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said that the forum discussed the issue of Palestine.

He said the cabinet demanded that the Palestinian issue be resolved according to the UN resolutions. It demanded that pre-1967 status of Palestine be restored.

The cabinet strongly condemned the bombing by Israel on innocent Palestinians, especially the civilian population, in Gaza.

More than 338,000 people displaced: UN

In Gaza, officials earlier reported more than 1,200 people killed in Israel’s uninterrupted campaign of air and artillery strikes, while the UN said more than 338,000 people have been displaced.

For days, black smoke has billowed into the sky above the impoverished Palestinian enclave of 2.3 million people, where entire city blocks have been razed.

As the war rages on, fears are growing over the fate of at least 150 hostages – mostly Israelis but also foreign and dual nationals – held in Gaza by Hamas.

Israel PM announces wartime ‘emergency government’ with Gantz

Meanwhile, heavy bombardments have relentlessly rained down on Gaza, where at least 2,540 housing units have been levelled or rendered uninhabitable, according to the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

Rubble, burnt-out cars and broken glass cover the roads in Gaza City, where bombs struck the Hamas-linked Islamic University.