ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday received Palestine Ambassador Ahmed Jawad A A Rabei at his office in Islamabad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
During the conversation, Qureshi strongly condemned violence by the Israeli forces against innocent worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.
He also conveyed his deepest sorrow and condolences for the innocent victims of lethal attacks by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza and the West Bank, the statement said.
“He [Qureshi] categorically condemned IDF’s continuous and indiscriminate attacks that had resulted in the martyrdom of more than 140 Palestinians, including 39 children, and 22 women, and injured more than 1,000,” it added.
The meeting comes as UN Security Council diplomats and 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened emergency weekend meetings to demand a stop to civilian bloodshed while Israel’s warplanes carried out the deadliest single attacks in nearly a week of its airstrikes.
OIC met to demand Israel halt attacks. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud called on “the international community to take urgent action to immediately stop military operations”.
On Monday, Qureshi also briefed Rabei over his outreach to foreign ministers of important regional partners and reassured him of his country’s ongoing efforts.
The ambassador expressed his gratitude for Pakistan’s unwavering support and steadfast policy on Palestine and apprised Qureshi about the latest situation on the ground, which was already dreadful due to Covid-19, and the ensuing humanitarian suffering.
Despite growing calls, even from some Democrats, for Washington to get more involved, President Joe Biden gave no signs of stepping up public pressure on Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
In a call with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, Biden focused on civilian deaths from Hamas rockets, and a White House readout of the call made no mention of the US urging Israel to join in a cease-fire that regional countries were pushing.
Netanyahu told his nation in a televised address Sunday that Israel “wants to levy a heavy price” on Hamas. That will “take time,” he said, signaling the attacks would rage on for now.
