Strongly condemning the Israeli air attacks in Gaza that have targeted not only the Hamas leadership but also innocent civilians, a Foreign Office spokesman on Friday said Pakistan had consistently extended unequivocal and unreserved support to the Palestinian cause.
In a statement on Friday‚ the spokesman said Pakistan believed that unless the Palestinian problem was resolved‚ peace in the Middle East would remain elusive. “We support the quest of the state of Palestine for membership of the United Nations and we believe that Palestine cannot be denied this right anymore.” The spokesman strongly condemned Israeli air attacks in Gaza. He said Israeli threats of a ground offensive against Gaza were even more disturbing. The spokesman said Pakistan considered the Israeli action a grave violation of international law and all humanitarian norms.
He called upon the international community to come together to stop the Israeli aggression forthwith and to work in unison for a peaceful resolution of this festering issue.
“We are also deeply concerned that an escalation in the violence could lead to a spreading of the conflict to engulf the region. Pakistan considers the Israeli action a grave violation of international law and all humanitarian norms. We call upon the international community to come together to stop the Israeli aggression forthwith and to work in unison for a peaceful resolution of this festering issue,” the statement said. NNI
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Muhamed Morsi telephoned Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Friday to discuss the situation in Gaza arising out of aerial bombardments by Israeli war planes in which several Palestinians were killed and many injured. The president of Egypt requested Prime Minister Ashraf for Pakistan’s support when the Palestine issue was raised at international forums specially the United Nations Security Council. The prime minister said Pakistan strongly condemned Israeli air attacks in Gaza that had targeted not only the Hamas leadership but also innocent civilians.
The prime minister expressed concern that the escalation in violence could lead to a spreading of conflict which may engulf the region.
He recalled that Pakistan was among the sponsors of the first resolution on Palestine issue adopted by the UN Security Council. He assured Morsi that the people of Pakistan would stand with the people of Palestine at this difficult time as they have always done in the past.
Ashraf assured the president of Egypt of Pakistan’s support in the UN Security Council.
The Egyptian president thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for their support to the cause of Palestinian people.
