COAS terms Israeli actions in Gaza ‘crimes against humanity’

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on Tuesday urged the the international community to play its role against Israeli atrocities and targeting of civilians in Gaza which amount to a "crime against humanity".

According to the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), Gen Munir made these remarks in a meeting with Palestine's Ambassador to Pakistan Ahmad Jawad.

The COAS also expressed condolences to the envoy on the loss of Palestinian lives and expressed concern over the "unabated indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians".

More than 5,000 Palestinians have been martyred, another 18,000 have been injured due to indiscriminate aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces.

"COAS expressed grave concern over unabated violence and willful, indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the war. Incessant attacks on civilian populations, schools, universities, aid workers, hospitals and the forced exodus of Palestinians from Gaza are manifest crimes against humanity," the army's media wing added.

"It is imperative that the international community mobilises to put an early end to unfolding human tragedy due to the disproportionate and unlawful use of force by IDF and desist from encouraging them to continue perpetrating atrocities in manifest violation of all norms of civility and humane conduct," the army chief said.

The COAS also offered condolences to the envoy on the loss of Palestinian lives, the military's media wing said.

Gen Munir also reiterated the call for "immediate cessation" of hostilities and the provision of a humanitarian corridor while underscoring the need to protect civilian lives and adherence to international law.

While reiterating Pakistan's support for an independent state of Palestine established on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, the army chief said: “Pakistan believes that the fresh spate of violence in Gaza is the result of unabated repression, continued human rights violations and state-sponsored sacrilege of Al Aqsa mosque."

“Conflating this war with terrorism would be naïve; taking a narrow and self-serving view of the issue as an isolated attack, obscures brutal oppression spanning decades that has led to this outcome” the COAS was quoted as saying.

Last week, Pakistan dispatched the first consignment carrying relief assistance to Gaza as Israel's indiscriminate bombardment left thousands dead and displaced millions.

The relief assistance, carrying one thousand winter tents, four thousand blankets, and three tonnes of medicines, will reach Palestine via Egypt in a chartered aircraft, the Foreign Office said in a statement.