ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday urged the international community to mobilize and stop Israel from its “murderous course” and military operations in Gaza, reiterating Islamabad’s firm support for an independent Palestinian state. 

After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire last Tuesday, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Hamas still holds Israeli hostages.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza since October 2023. Most of the dead are civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.

“The international community must mobilize to stop Israel from its murderous course and persuade it to pursue a path of reason,” Dar said during his speech at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. 

“Palestinians must be granted their inalienable right to self-determination,” he added. 

He condemned Israel’s “wanton killing of women and children,” blaming the Jewish state for using starvation as “an instrument of war” in the densely populated Gaza territory, targeting humanitarian workers and destroying homes, schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure there. 

Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, said Islamabad reiterates its support for the establishment of a viable and independent Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. 

The Pakistani deputy premier condemned Israel and the United States for attacking key Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this month, saying they violated the United Nations Charter, international law and put regional peace in danger. 

He welcomed the Iran-Israel ceasefire announcement, urging all parties to resolve their disputes peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy.