F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani urged the international community to pressure Israel into announcing an “immediate cease-fire” on Sunday, as the Jewish state launched a fresh ground offensive in Gaza a day earlier.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his countrymen to prepare for a “long and hard” offensive on Saturday night as Israeli troops and armored vehicles pushed into Gaza in an expansion of ground operations.
His comments came as Gaza continued to be under a near-total communications blackout imposed since Friday night amid intense bombardment. International relief organizations and UN agencies have voiced fears that hostilities in Gaza would escalate the humanitarian crisis there amid a shortage of food, water and medicines.
“In this hour of darkness we must not lose sight of the plight of innocent Palestinians,” Jilani wrote on social media platform X.
“Pakistan calls on Int community to exert pressure on Israel to respect UN Res demanding an immediate cease-fire.”
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is expected to hold an important meeting on the crisis on Monday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that a “humanitarian catastrophe” was unfolding in front of the world in Gaza.
Israel has killed over 7,700 people in the densely populated area since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a full-pronged attack that took the Jewish state by surprise. According to Tel Aviv, over 1,300 people were killed in the attack while Hamas’ military wing took hundreds hostage.
Over 3,500 children have been killed due to Israel’s attacks since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian officials while the UN says over 1.4 million people have been displaced in Gaza since hostilities began.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
Courtesy: arabnews
