By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday demanded an immediate halt to violations of a fragile Gaza ceasefire, after airstrikes by Israel killed more than 100 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them civilians, including dozens of children.
The strikes, which Israel said were retaliation for the killing of an Israeli soldier by Hamas, a claim the group denied, marked the first major test of a truce that took effect just over two weeks ago. The agreement, brokered by the United States and other mediators, had raised hopes for an end to two years of devastating conflict.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the renewed attacks by the Israeli occupying forces in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “These actions constitute a clear and flagrant violation of international law, as well as a breach of the recently concluded peace agreement.”
The Foreign Office warned that “such aggressive measures by the Israeli occupation forces threaten to undermine the international efforts aimed at establishing durable peace and stability in the region.” It called on the international community “to ensure an immediate cessation of ceasefire violations by the Israeli occupation forces.”
Pakistan, one of eight Muslim-majority countries that collaborated with the United States on President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, also reaffirmed its longstanding support for Palestinian statehood. “Pakistan reiterates its principled position for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” the statement said.
Gaza’s officials reported at least 100 people killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday. “At least 101 fatalities were brought to hospitals, including 35 children and a number of women and elderly, as a result of Israeli air strikes in less than 12 hours,” Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the enclave’s Civil Defense Agency, told AFP. The strikes had targeted “tents for displaced people, homes and the vicinity of a hospital in the Strip.”
The Israeli military announced Wednesday that it had reinstated the ceasefire, saying it had struck “dozens of terror targets and terrorists.” In a statement, it said its forces and the Israel Security Agency, known as Shin Bet, had “struck 30 terrorists holding command positions” within armed groups in Gaza.
From Asia, where he was on a trip, Trump defended Israel’s actions and dismissed concerns about the truce’s stability. “Nothing will jeopardize the truce I helped broker,” he insisted. “They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back. And they should hit back.”
The truce went into effect on Oct. 10, following an agreement between Hamas and the Israel Defence Forces that included the release of hostages held in Gaza and a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops. It capped two years of war that erupted in October 2023. Weeks earlier, Israel and Hamas had accepted Trump’s peace plan, which envisioned the release of remaining Gaza hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, alongside a broader ceasefire.
Qatar has been a pivotal mediator in indirect talks since the war’s outset, serving as a guarantor of the deal alongside the United States, Egypt and Turkey. But tensions flared in September when Israel targeted Hamas negotiators in Doha, killing five members of the group and a Qatari security officer, an episode that drew condemnation, including from Trump.
Pakistan’s sharp rebuke underscored its active involvement in the diplomatic push. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to travel to Turkey next week for a meeting of foreign ministers from the eight countries that helped shape the peace plan, to discuss implementation. Officials said Pakistan would soon announce whether it would contribute troops to an International Stabilization Force for Gaza — a prospect that has sparked debate among Pakistani politicians and journalists.
The war has exacted a staggering toll on Gaza. Health authorities there report more than 67,000 Palestinians killed and at least 169,000 injured since October 2023, many of them civilians. An estimated 90 percent of the enclave’s housing has been damaged or destroyed, more than two million people have been displaced, and famine-like conditions are spreading.
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