Years of ‘Illegal Occupation of Palestine’ Behind Recent Violence: Pakistan
Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said the Israeli regime’s “deliberate, indiscriminate, and disproportionate” attacks on civilians in Gaza were "against all norms of civility and in manifest violation of international law" and called for an immediate cease-fire and lifting of the blockade in Gaza.
He urged the UN and the international community on Monday to intervene in the Gaza crisis, where Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 2,700 Palestinians, including 750 children, in 10 days of fighting.
"The breakout of violence needs to be seen in the context of years of forced and illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and repressive policies against its people," Kakar said on X.
He expressed his "deep concern" over the situation in Gaza and said Pakistan stood in solidarity with the "oppressed people of Palestine".
He also said Pakistan Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani will attend the emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a bloc of 57 Muslim countries, to discuss the Gaza issue.
The conflict between the Israeli regime and Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza, erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a surprise attack. Hamas said it was responding to the Israeli raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence in Jerusalem.
The Israeli regime then launched Operation Swords of Iron, a massive aerial campaign targeting Hamas sites in Gaza. The regime has also imposed a blockade on Gaza, cutting off its access to electricity, water, food, fuel, and medical supplies.
The UN estimates that over 1 million people – almost half the population of Gaza – have been displaced by the Israeli bombardment and warning to evacuate northern areas. Many have fled to the south or sought shelter in UN-run schools.
The Israeli death toll from Hamas attacks has reached 1,300.
Source: Agencies
