In a press release issued today, the foreign office said that Pakistan also supports the efforts of the international community to halt the Israeli strikes which have resulted in the deaths of several Palestinians – including children.
Eleven women and children were among 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza Wednesday, hiking the overall death toll to 38 in two days, the emergency services said.
More than 300 people have been wounded.
Among the dead was at least one militant, as well as six children and five women, emergency services spokesperson Ashraf al Qudra told AFP. It was not immediately clear whether the other five fatalities were civilians or militants.
The deadliest single strike took place shortly after midnight when a missile slammed into a house in the northern town of Beit Hanun, killing Hafez Hammad, a senior Islamic commander, and five of his family members, including two women and two children.
In another series of raids to the north and east of Gaza City, Israeli warplanes killed two more women and four children, Qudra said.
Two brothers, Mohammed Aarif, 13 and 12-year-old Amir were killed in an air strike on Shejaiya, east of Gaza City, while another strike in the nearby Zeitun district killed Amina Malaka, 27, and her 18-month-old son Mohammed, he said.
Further north, another missile hit Beit Hanun, killing 40-year-old Sahar al-Masri and her 14-year-old son Ibrahim, he added.
Elsewhere in Gaza, a 30-year-old man was killed in a pre-dawn strike on the southern city of Rafah. His identity was not immediately clear.
And several hours later, a drone fired a missile at a motorcycle in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, leaving 30-year-old Rafiq al-Kafarne clinically dead and another person severely wounded.
In Mughraqa in central Gaza, medics retrieved the body of 80-year-old Naifeh Farajallah from the rubble of her house damaged in an earlier air strike.
In the same area, an Israel missile killed two men in a field near Nusseirat refugee camp. Medics named them as Abdel Nasser Abu Kweik, 60, and his son Khaled, 31.
Overnight, Israeli warplanes struck 160 targets, raising the overall number of strikes to 430 since the launch of Operation Protective Edge in the early hours of Tuesday.
Since midnight (2100 GMT), at least 10 rockets struck Israel, and another 16 were shot down by Iron Dome, two of them over the Tel Aviv area, an army spokesperson said.
Israeli media reported that two rockets crashed into the sea Wednesday off the northern port city of Haifa, some 165 kilometres north of Gaza.
If confirmed, it would be the furthest a rocket fired from Gaza has ever travelled.
Throughout Tuesday, 117 rockets struck Israel, with 45 of them targeting major cities in the centre, among them Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as Hadera, 116 kilometres to the north.
Another 45 missiles were shot down by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.
On Tuesday, 21 Palestinians were killed, including 17 in strikes on Gaza, as well as four Hamas militants who were shot dead after infiltrating southern Israel by sea.
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 2 women, 4 children: medics
Israeli warplanes on Wednesday killed two women and four children in a series of strikes to the north and east of Gaza City, medics said.
"Four Palestinians were killed in air strikes, including two brothers who are 12 and 13 years old in Shejaiya, while a four-year-old boy and a woman were killed in a raid on Zeitun," emergency services spokesperson Ashraf al Qudra told AFP.
Both neighbourhoods are located east of Gaza City, close to the frontier with Israel.
In a separate air strike on the northern town of Beit Hanun, a 40-year-old woman and her 14-year-old son were killed, he added.
COMMENTS (72)
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I am a Pakistan born. Its shame for my country, as Pakistan doesn`t take any practical action against Israel. Palestinies are our Muslim brothers. For what we have produced missile launchers???
Both Pak and India are condemming the Israeli action on Gaza but one is doing religion infused politics while the other is relying on politics infused religion .
Happy to see that there are few Muslim Brothers which are still not brainwashed by Fanatics & Mullahs. To all Pakistani Friends: We Indian Muslim have nothing to do in your National Matters & same goes to Philistines, we are happy in our nation where worlds smallest Parasi Minority still living peacefully. As India is standing with Philistine since 1948, i would like to say that now Indian Government should adapt a Neutral policy for middle east.
@Amer: Yeah as a Pakistani who loves his country I do think that.
How selfish a nation can be?? Ol ds can haopen wiz pakistan too.. if today u dnt stand for others tommorow u wl too stand alone and nobody will come for ur rescue..
@Manzoor: So selfish and so cruel ur no pakistani !!
I can't belive the comments made above I understand pakistan is falling apart I'm also pakistani insha Allah one day pakistan will rise .
if u help or not help palastine what difference does it make to ur country it's going to stay same becs it is from the will of Allah swt maybe if u helped someone then Allah swt would consider helping ur country some of u are so selfish with ur comment's i sometimes thing are u pakistanies . can u not see the children getting killed what harm have they done what harm can a baby do to isreal none of the palistine population has done any harm to isreal they are just getting killed for the land like always land or oil the isrealies fight get some more of the land then stop then after a few years start again get more land more and more ...isreal says palastine is attacking us with rocket fires it's unbelievable becs no one is killing them it always misses the isrealies that confusses me if isrealies are burtaly killing everyone in palestine how come Hamas is not throwing his rockets on isrealie civilians can u not see it's over the land isrealies never had a place to live so they want all of palistine so u don't want to do anything for them so every Muslim country will get targeted but the rest of the Muslim countries will hide in there shell when america needs help britain helps when isreal needs help America helps but when Muslim countries get destroyed no one helps why ? why ? We need to stand up for each others conutries to survive or there will be no us
blinded with ur greed and ur weaknesses how many Muslim countries have been destroyed well keep watching don't speak up
Are you stupid? Are you telling is Pakistan is more important than Al Aqsa? Shame on all Muslims who think there home is more important than Al Aqsa@Moiz Omar:
@Moiz Omar: does not concern us? we are a muslims nation. Palestinians are like our brothers, and as a muslims nation its our duty to protect fellow muslims in need. Yes, Israel's actions concern us because they are killing our brothers and sisters.
The enemy so cleverly failed the best muslim army in the world by involving them in a war that wasnt thier's in the first place, while they do whatever they want and having nobody to stop them.
@Jehangir Jawaid: Beautiful sentiments my brother. You are a true asset to Muslim Ummah and Pakistani nation. I am proud when I hear such words.
To all enemies of Pakistan and enemies of Palestinians, you will not find any ally except oppressors like Israel. Better to join justice, because injustice is always doomed to fail. Israel will not last forever, and neither will the occupation of Kashmir, Afghanistan, or Iraq.
All this selective outrage in support of the Palestinians is rather hypocritical when one remembers the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians by Pakistani forces led by Ziaul Haq in the 1970 Black September operation in Jordan. After that killings, Yasser Arafat shunned Pakistan and avoided visiting Pakistan when he used to visit India.
@Salman Khan: Wow, So Pakistan should send its army to defend Palestinians! You neglected to explain just how Pakistan would accomplish this!!!!!!'
@ Someone @ Jehangir Jawaid Pakistani are very emotional people and therefore it becomes easy to exploit them under the veil of religion. There is nothing like Muslim world, there never was. Each country and Arab Kingdoms are driven by Geo-political realities and benefits of their own countries. This is the basic principle all the countries are governed on, except Pakistan. It is the only reason Pakistan is in such an abysmal state. Of-course there are roughed elements who create troubles in every country for their own political and monetary benefits, but you will never see Indian Muslims queuing for Pakistan, but reverse is true. Tell me how many Arab countries gives visa on arrival to Pakistanis, giving citizenship is far-fetched. Wake up and smell the coffee!
Muslims are treated worse than third-grade citizens in India. A bit rich of Indians to point fingers at China or lecture anyone else about foreign policy or human rights really. Indians can do Pakistanis a favour, and that is to keep their nose out of Muslim politics. Last time I checked, India has no role in the Muslim world.
Pakistan should send its Army to defend Pelastine.
@Jehangir Jawaid: "Muslim should not consider their selves as they belong to certain country or specific language, Muslim as A whole is A community and where ever Muslim will be targeted Brutally it become the core responsibility for all those Muslim living in different parts of the world to at least they strongly condemn and protest where ever they can do."
How about some street protests against Chinese oppression of Muslim minority Uighurs?
"Muslim should not consider their selves as they belong to certain country or specific language, Muslim as A whole is A community and where ever Muslim will be targeted Brutally it become the core responsibility for all those Muslim living in different parts of the world to at least they strongly condemn and protest where ever they can do."
How about some street protests against Chinese oppression of Muslim minority Uighurs?
All those smarties saying that we should first focus on our own problems, please do not expect anyone to help us if we come under similar attack God forbid. Afterall, it will not be their problem, huh
@Moiz Omar:
Rubbish talking.. Muslim should not consider their selves as they belong to certain country or specific language, Muslim as A whole is A community and where ever Muslim will be targeted Brutally it become the core responsibility for all those Muslim living in different parts of the world to at least they strongly condemn and protest where ever they can do.
@Baloch Insafian: says "It’s about humanity! How could you keep silent on innocents being killed as brutally as Israelis are doing in Gaza."
When was the last time you protested the brutality against tibetians? This is not about humanity. This is about religion infused politics.
@Syed Jalal Kashmiri: India and Israel have more in common
Pakistan is the world's first Islamic state. Israel is the world;s first Jewish state.
Ergo, Pakistan and Israel have a lot in common.
Zia-ul-Haq killed 5000 palestinians in Jordan when he used tanks to fire into Palestinian refugee camps. Which gives Pakis the distinction of having killed more Palestinians than even Israelis during the second intifada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackSeptemberin_Jordan
Now they go off and bomb North Waziristan, create half a million refugees which two of their states are refusing to take in (citing "security" reasons*) and handing out advice to Israel.
The attitude of Pakistani elite is mind boggling. Sharmeen Obaid, the R.A.P.E.(Rabid Anglicized Pakistani Elite" or Rich Anglicized Pakistani Elite) who won an oscar for the documentary "Losing face" (about acid attacks on women) actually tweeted that the refugees from North Waziristan should be "contained" in refugee camps, monitored and not allowed to move into cities as they might be a big security threat. This is their attitude towards their own citizens.@pervez: Either you don't know much about your religion or you are intentionally being ignorant, If you ever try to become even half of what a ideal muslim should be like, you will end up becoming good muslim, our religion gives more priority to HAQOOQ-UL IBAAD then HAQOOQ-UL ALLAH, Says it all!
@Rana Ajeet: What sort of lesson and why?
@Seriously!: Narrow minded. U should be a human first. Then Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu next.
What about oppression of the Baloch?
@Bilal: "We expend so much energy haranguing other countries that we are too exhausted to look after our own country". I enjoyed that. Really did.
At-least there is a nation which stand for its citizens. HAMAS is the real cause of suffering for Philistinean people
@ Syed Jalal Kashmiri: “ India and Israel have more in common” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Au Contraire. Pakistan and Israel have much more in common with each other than India does with Israel, though with one important difference. Both Israel and Pakistan believe that running a counter insurgency campaign justifies use of indiscriminate and disproportionate methods like bombing and shelling. The difference is that unlike Pakistan, Israel does not target co-religionist Jews. India does not shell and bomb in Jammu & Kashmir while carrying out her counter insurgency campaign
@ali: ET, how is this comment from a pro-extremist sectarian bigot relevant to this article and allowed through, when it absolutely avoids touching on Pak's statement on Israel-Palestine?
@Atif Salahuddin: same thing pakistan is doing to freedom fighters using its air power
@Aiman Kay: This heavy retaliation was very necessary to teach the terrorists proper lesson
Gaza people are completely depended on western aids for survival? They are so much overpopulated that there are any tree left in that tiny country, people are literally living on beaches. Still Gaza scholars are against family planning.
Our "all-weather" friend does not allow its citizen to observe roza, should not we say something about it too?
All trolls bringing up the Uighur issue and trying to drive a wedge between us and China are in actuality Indians posing with Muslim names. Shame on you Indians for dividing us from our Friend China!
Indians support Israeli actions against Gaza because they are enemies of Islam and allies of oppressors. The only relation between Pakistan and Israel is animosity. India and Israel have more in common in their occupation of Muslim lands, Kashmir and Palestine respectively.
Indians commentators try to abuse Pakistan, Punjabi Muslim, Pashtoon, Kashmiris, Palestinians to distract from what they are doing against Kashmiri and Indian Muslims.
Shame on all oppressors. Please support freedom for my Kashmir.
When Punjabi dominated military force of Pakistan pounds Muslim Pathan’s during Ramazan in North Waziristan Agency, what is so different about Israeli military forces pounding Muslim Palestinians during Ramazan in Gaza?.
As they say, what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Pakistan, please spare the world hypocrisy.
Aggression, violence, persecutions, killings, murders are the foundation of all the three Abrahamic religions. Accordingly they have caused a havoc on this tiny planet.
@Jogger I wish you were "so distressed" about the hellish life our fellow compatriots live. Not surprised by the comments here this is why we will never progress. We expend so much energy haranguing other countries that we are too exhausted to look after our own country. At the same time we are creating enemies throughout the world. I have met Egyptians who resent Pakistanis telling them to stop how to run their country. I am sure China will join the list of our enemies.
wow, no condemnation of Hamas's rocket attack on Israeli civilians?
Go ahead Express Tribune, censor if you will. Stop killing Afghan Muslims as Muslims then criticize Israelis for killing poor Palestinians. Israel and Pakistan share many similarities.
@Baloch Insafian:
"It’s about humanity! How could you keep silent on innocents being killed as brutally as Israelis are doing in Gaza."
Shouldn't you be more concerned about your Baloch brothers being being butchered in Pakistan?
hmmm....how about strongly condemning Chinese aggression against the Uighur Muslims?
Sad to see how hard hearted we all have become. We should feel the pain of our muslim brothers/sisters in Palestine, instead of turning a blind eye towards them. We are more or less going through the same devastation. Theres no harm in sympathising and praying for them. That is the LEAST we can do!
It is reassuring to note that some people are perturbed about the scurrilous activities of the Israeli regime.
worst form of censorship going on, Pakistani media has completely stopped printing anything remotely critical of shia extremism and iranian regime
To all those ruthless people who believe that The blatant killings of muslim Palestinian men, women and children is not our(who are Muslims) problem, then probably they are not Muslims either. Be it any other Muslim hurt anywhere in the world that's another Muslims problem. That is if we are Muslims in the first place.
Just because we have load shedding, sacristy of food, poverty and poor economy, we should not condem a terrorist attack on palestinian by Israelis. Next time if the people who do not want to condem this act are bombed by missile and their families goes homeless, wounded and dead we should first check if we have food, electricity and good economy at our home to feed us with.
Hypocrites!
Soon they will target us and slowly penetrate into the muslim world till they execute their evil intentions and even then my friends here at this platform would preach others to not meddle and mind our own business. We have become a selfish nation over time I am afraid!
@ansar it just shows that we are scared of Chinese aggression. Do you ever read the newspaper regarding Chinese news which despite being secretive still spills out of the region because of internet.
Read how many uighurs have been killed by Chinese army on the pretext of terrorism. We support freedom for Kashmiris but when it comes to Uighurs we don't. May I ask why?
@some1: Are the chinese jets striking their homes like in Gaza?
"Pakistan condemns Israeli aggression in Gaza" but opts to stay silent on the issue of China banning Fasting during Ramadan. What should I call this?
Balouch Insafian: Couldn't agree more. I wonder what kind of heartless humans are those who would wants us to remain silent on one pretext or the other.
China is committing very grave atrocities against Muslims in Xinziang. They have moved many hans Chinese into xinziang to make Muslims minority. Also pork being a favourite cuisine of Hans Chinese (the highest consumer of pork in the world) is openly sold everywhere in xinziang. Fasting is banned during Ramadan.
Where is the condemnation from fellow Pakistani Muslims? It's about time we mind our own business and stop interfering in other countries affairs unless those countries also support us.
Why didn't the government not lodge protest against the Chinese government for the atrocities comitted against Uighurs in Xinziang? This year the Chinese went ahead and even banned fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. Why people who support this government condemnation of Israelis not speak up against Chinese as well.
How many times have Palestinians condemned atrocities perpetrated on Shias, ahmedis and other minorities? How many times has Pakistani government lodged a protest against Chinese government over atrocities comitted against uighurs in xinziang? Only fools in our country are buying into this government move. By the way china has banned fasting in xinziang are we even aware of it or we are turning a blind eye because they are selling us military hardware.
Good I too condemn. But FO seems to forget (deliberately) china bans on ramzan fast. Is there anything condemnable in this case?
@Manzoor Your point of view is Na-Manzoor.
The Israeli regime is committing atrocious acts against an unarmed civilian population, including the old and sick, women and children. If something as barbaric as that does not stir anyone's conscious then they have lost the plot altogether.
We are part of this world and atrocities and global situation affects Pakistan as much as any other country so it is definitely a good decision to condemn 160 air strikes in retaliation for 4 Hamas rockets. The response is heavy handed to say the least.
@Moiz Omar: @Manzoor: its interesting to see your comments... being the first few comments written as an ostrich burying its head in the sand thinking everything is OK. Mate if you dont stand up for oppressed (whatever their religion, cast or nationality is), you forfeit the right to call yourself human. Question: how are you helping those whom you call your own???
I am so distressed to read some comments posted by people here expressing their disapproval over government's condemnation. We as a Nation are suffering from apathy and callousness which is alarming. To all those people urging Pakistan to be concerned about their people are utterly right, though at the same time subtly wrong. Just have a humble pie and fathom that there isnt anything wrong with calling spade a spade. Simply put, denouncing the act of aggression by any mean does implies we would cease caring for our people.
It is not just ours but everyone's responsibility to condemn any oppression being inflicted regardless of the religion, caste and creed of Victim who is being oppressed.
@Baloch Insafian Innocents are dying every day in Pakistan. Our army is fighting with over 800,000 fled North Waziristan. We have to endure load shedding. Drought conditions in Sindh. So you will burn down Islamabad to protest killings in another country. The Palestinians have higher literacy rates than us. Lets solve at our own problems
Pakistan should first solve its own problems and then condemn Israeli aggression.We interfere everywhere in the world but do not correct our own country's state of affairs.An atomic power with load shedding, polio, terrorism and etc etc.Shame on our shameless rulers and establishment for not keeping good ties with a single neighbouring country.
@Manzoor It's about humanity! How could you keep silent on innocents being killed as brutally as Israelis are doing in Gaza. P.S: raising voice for innocent victims around the world doesn't makes you ignorant of your own problems anyway.
Before the usual crowd start making weeping and crying for the Arabs. I request you to stop interfering in other countries we have our own problems. Charity begins at home.