ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said on Friday Pakistan had offered to host injured people from Gaza and provide them with medical treatment as part of its conversations with Jordan and Egypt about the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, but encountered complications in executing this proposal.
Jilani made this statement while addressing the Senate, following a lawmaker’s call for the government to engage in active diplomacy regarding the issue and to assist the Palestinian people.
Israel besieged the Gaza Strip, launching airstrikes and a ground invasion, in response to a surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, aimed at protesting the worsening conditions of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
“Currently, more than 15,000 people have been martyred, nearly 40,000 people are injured over there and almost the entire Gaza has been destroyed,” the foreign minister said.
He informed that United Nations officials had relayed to Pakistan that about 37 medical facilities set up for the injured had been destroyed, and several UN staff members working there had lost their lives.
“We are already in contact with countries like Jordan and Egypt,” he continued. “We have told them that Pakistan would be happy to treat injured Palestinians in Pakistan and airlift them. However, there are some challenges there which we are trying to remove as soon as possible.”
He noted the implementation of Pakistan’s proposal required Israel’s permission, adding: “We are in contact with countries that have links with Israel.”
The foreign minister revealed the Egyptian authorities had informed Pakistan of Israel’s close monitoring of every injured person evacuated from Gaza, ensuring they were not Hamas operatives.
“We even proposed establishing Pakistani hospitals,” he said, “But the current situation in Gaza makes it impossible for any country to establish such medical facilities. In fact, an old hospital set up by Indonesia has also been destroyed.”
Jilani emphasized that Israel’s response to the Hamas attack had once again highlighted the Palestinian issue in international politics.
He maintained that Israel’s narrative, supported by its allies, was losing resonance with the global community, as evidenced by large anti-war protests in Western countries.
