Pakistan sends humanitarian aid to Gaza amid Israel's deadly rampage

A picture of the relief assistance that Pakistan is sending to Gaza via Egypt can be seen, on October 19, 2023. — Radio Pakistan

As Israel's indiscriminate bombardment continues on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing thousands and displacing millions, Pakistan Thursday sent the first consignment carrying humanitarian aid to the strip.

The relief assistance, carrying one thousand winter tents, four thousand blankets, and three tonnes of medicines, will reach Palestine via Egypt in a chartered aircraft, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Israel's unabated airstrikes on Gaza have claimed nearly 3,500 lives while thousands of others are injured. Entire city blocks have been levelled, water, food, and power have been cut off, and over one million people have been displaced.

Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel has claimed more than 1,400 lives — and the conflict has set off a wave of fury across the Middle East against Israel and its Western allies.

At the media briefing today, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan remains deeply concerned about the situation of "our Palestinian brothers and sisters" in Gaza.

“We strongly condemn the Israeli aggression and blockade, particularly the recent attack on a Gaza hospital. Israel's actions violate international humanitarian and human rights law,” she added.

The FO spokesperson further said deliberate attacks against civilian targets constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“We call for an immediate ceasefire; an end to the siege of Gaza; and the facilitation of humanitarian corridors for unrestricted relief supplies.”

The development came as Israel agreed on a deal for an initial 20 trucks carrying relief goods to cross the shuttered Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza, with the first deliveries expected Friday at the earliest.

More than 100 trucks carrying aid goods have been queued for days on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, the only entry or exit point to Gaza not controlled by Israel.

Cairo has so far kept it closed, pointing to repeated Israeli strikes near the crossing and voicing fears that Israel may be hoping to permanently drive Palestinians out and into Egypt´s Sinai desert.

On the Gaza side, scores of people were again waiting, desperate to flee, but careful to keep a distance of about 100 metres (300 feet) in case of new Israeli strikes.

There are fears of worse to come if Israel launches its anticipated ground invasion aimed at destroying Hamas and rescuing Israeli and foreign hostages, whose known number Israel on Thursday revised up to 203.