By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday sharply condemned Israel’s renewed military operations in Gaza, which have killed at least 87 Palestinians since a United States-brokered ceasefire took effect, urging the international community to impose “urgent and effective” measures to halt the violations and protect civilians.
The criticism from Islamabad came amid signs of shifting American public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showing that most Americans, including 80 percent of Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans, favor United States recognition of a Palestinian state, a position at odds with President Donald J. Trump’s opposition to such a move.
The poll, conducted over six days and closing on Monday, found 59 percent of respondents supporting recognition of Palestinian statehood, while 33 percent opposed it and the remainder were unsure or did not respond. The findings underscore a growing divide, even as Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has staunchly backed Israel during its offensive and brokered the recent ceasefire.
Israeli forces have carried out more than 100 airstrikes since Sunday in Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Jabalia in the north, and other central areas, according to reports. The Gaza Health Ministry reported the Palestinian death toll, which includes civilians, while Reuters noted that two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Gaza over the weekend. Israel has blamed Hamas for sparking the latest hostilities with an attack on its forces in Rafah, but the militant group has denied any involvement or knowledge of the incident.
In a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the government expressed outrage over the strikes. “Pakistan strongly condemns the renewed attacks by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, resulting in the loss of numerous civilian lives,” it said. The statement highlighted how the actions “run contrary to the spirit of the peace agreement signed in Sharm El-Sheikh in the presence of leadership from the Muslim and Arab world, [the] US, Europe, and the UN.”
Pakistan, one of eight countries that collaborated with the Trump administration on a plan to end what it called Israel’s genocide in Gaza, called for an “immediate end to Israeli hostilities.” The Foreign Office reaffirmed “its unwavering support for the Palestinian people” and reiterated “its principled position for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
The ceasefire, signed this month in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, had briefly kindled hopes for a durable resolution to the violence that erupted after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October 2023. That assault prompted a sweeping Israeli response, with bombardments that have leveled vast swaths of Palestinian neighborhoods in Gaza. The conflict traces its roots to Israel’s founding in 1948, which displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and set off decades of strife.
In recent weeks, a growing number of countries, including United States allies like Britain, Canada, France and Australia, have formally recognized Palestinian statehood, prompting strong condemnation from Israel. The Reuters/Ipsos poll also revealed widespread unease among Americans about the scale of Israel’s military campaign, with 60 percent of respondents describing the response in Gaza as excessive, compared to 32 percent who disagreed.
Yet the survey suggested that the public might be willing to credit Trump if his diplomatic efforts succeed. Fifty-one percent agreed that he “deserves significant credit” if peace holds, against 42 percent who disagreed. Even among Democrats, where only one in 20 approve of Trump’s overall performance as president, one in four said he should receive significant credit for a successful outcome.
Among Republicans, views on Palestinian recognition were more split: 53 percent opposed it, while 41 percent supported it. The poll, conducted online, drew responses from 4,385 people nationwide and carried a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
The latest flare-up has tested the fragile truce, with both sides trading accusations. As international pressure mounts, Pakistan’s statement emphasized the need for the global community to “ensure full implementation of the ceasefire and protection of Palestinian civilians.”
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
