ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned a raid by the Israeli military that killed 10 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, calling for a “concrete plan” to rebuild Gaza following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Gunfire and explosions rocked the Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday as the Israeli military continued its large-scale raid for a second day, the AFP news agency reported.
The operation, launched just days after a ceasefire paused more than a year of Israel’s war in Gaza, has killed at least 10 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israeli officials have said the raid is part of a broader campaign against militants in the West Bank, citing thousands of attack attempts since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
“[We] unequivocally condemn the latest Israeli raid in the Jenin refugee camp of the West Bank, resulting in killing of ten Palestinians,” Shafqat Ali Khan, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, said at a media briefing in Islamabad.
“Such actions potentially undermine the precarious ceasefire in Gaza and international community should take note of it.”
Israeli officials have said the raid is part of a broader campaign against militants in the West Bank. The operation has raised fears of a return of fighting and chaos to occupied Palestinian territories, undermining chances of peace in the region.
Khan said the ceasefire in Gaza was a “milestone” that was achieved through a patient and persistent mediatory role of Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
“We urge the international community to develop a concrete plan for reconstruction of Gaza in line with UNSC [United Nations Security Council] resolutions,” he told reporters.
“We call for accountability of Israeli crimes committed in this brutal war, describing it as an essential element in restoring international legitimacy.”
Israel launched the war on Gaza soon after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, killing more than 47,000 Palestinians and laying waste to large swathes of the territory.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
The South Asian country has dispatched several relief consignments for Gaza, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
Pakistan condemns Israeli raid in West Bank, calls for ‘concrete plan’ for Gaza’s reconstruction
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Pakistan condemns Israeli raid in West Bank, calls for ‘concrete plan’ for Gaza’s reconstruction
- Gunfire, explosions rocked the Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday as the Israeli military continued its large-scale raid
- The operation in the West Bank was launched just days after a ceasefire paused more than a year of Israel’s war in Gaza
Pakistan says it has received no request to join Gaza stabilization force
- Foreign Office says any decision on participating in an international mechanism will be guided by sovereign policy considerations
- It says Pakistan’s security collaboration with Saudi Arabia is longstanding and should not be narrowly viewed as troop deployment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not taken any decision on joining a proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza and has received no formal request from the United States or any other country in this regard, the foreign office said on Thursday.
Trump’s Gaza plan, outlined as part of a 20-point framework, envisages the deployment of troops from Muslim-majority countries during a transitional stabilization phase, intended to support security and governance as the war-ravaged Palestinian territory moves toward reconstruction and a longer-term political settlement.
International media outlets claim Washington views Pakistan as a potentially significant contributor given its battle-hardened military, which has fought a brief but intense conflict with India this year and continues to combat insurgencies in its remote regions.
Responding to a query during his weekly media briefing, the foreign office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said discussions on ISF for Gaza were ongoing in “certain capitals,” but Pakistan had neither committed to participate nor received any specific request.
“We have not taken a sovereign decision to participate in ISF as yet,” he said. “I am not aware of any specific request made to Pakistan. We will inform you about any development if it takes place.”
He added that while Gaza and Palestine remain part of Pakistan’s broader diplomatic engagements with regional partners, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and members of the United Nations Security Council, the issue of deploying a stabilization force had not been discussed as a standalone, structured agenda item.
“These discussions come up in the broader context of how to stabilize Gaza and ensure peace, but not as a specific, formal proposal,” he added.
The spokesperson maintained Pakistan supports efforts aimed at Gaza’s stabilization and peace but would make any decision on participation in international mechanisms strictly in line with its sovereign policy considerations.
In response to a question about a recent news report by Reuters about a possible visit by Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to the United States to meet US President Donald Trump, Andrabi said there was no confirmation of such plans.
“I can contradict the report in its essence,” he said. “The report suggested as if a visit has been planned or finalized. I do not have any information on the timing or any future visit.”
Earlier, a White House official told Arab News on background no meeting was scheduled between Trump and Munir “at this time.”
The foreign office spokesperson stressed that official visits by Pakistan’s political or military leadership are announced formally by the government ahead of time.
“When an official visit takes place, there is an official announcement. I do not have any such information to share,” he added.
To a question regarding the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) signed in September, he said security collaboration between Islamabad and Riyadh was longstanding, reiterating that the latest pact had only codified and further elaborated the partnership.
Andrabi maintained the pact should not be interpreted narrowly as the deployment of Pakistani forces, noting that defense cooperation covered a wide spectrum including training, joint exercises and institutional collaboration.
“As I said, it’s an ongoing process,” he said. “You should not read it just in the context of sending your forces. There are training, joint exercises that keep on going. If you interpret training as sending forces, I cannot say that. I mean, sending of forces is a very broad term. But our defense corporation, as I said, is ongoing.”
