COAS wants halt to Israel-Hamas conflict

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hamas conflict, emphasising the importance of opening a humanitarian corridor to Gaza, protecting civilians, and adhering to international humanitarian law.

The army chief expressed these views during a meeting with Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan Ahmad Jawad Rabei, who called on him on Tuesday at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

As a matter of policy, the military’s media wing usually does not issue statements about the army chief’s meetings with foreign diplomats, but on this occasion, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released an official handout.

The handout stated that the army chief expressed condolences for the loss of Palestinian lives in the ongoing war in Gaza.

General Asim voiced grave concern over the unabated violence and willful, indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

"Incessant attacks on the civilian population, schools, universities, aid workers, hospitals, and the forced exodus of Palestinians from Gaza are manifest crimes against humanity," he was quoted as saying.

Read Israel pledges 'unrelenting attacks' on Hamas as death toll in Gaza at 5,087

The COAS reiterated Pakistan’s principled support for an independent, viable, and contiguous state of Palestine established on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

"Pakistan believes that the fresh spate of violence in Gaza is the result of unabated repression, continued human rights violations, and state-sponsored sacrilege of Al-Aqsa mosque.

"Conflating this war with terrorism would be naïve; taking a narrow and self-serving view of the issue as an isolated attack obscures brutal oppression spanning decades that has led to this outcome," he said.

"At this critical juncture, it is imperative that the international community mobilises to put an early end to the unfolding human tragedy due to the disproportionate and unlawful use of force by IDF and desists from encouraging them to continue perpetrating atrocities in manifest violation of all norms of civility and humane conduct," he added.

Pakistan earlier dispatched humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Gaza. The chartered plane carrying 100 tons of essential items was sent to Egypt, from where the aid was transferred to Gaza via Rafah crossing.

Islamabad has also been vocal at international forums, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to push for a ceasefire in the Middle East.