Pakistan calls for immediate implementation of Gaza ceasefire

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday welcomed the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which was reached a day earlier between Israel and Hamas, and called for its immediate and full implementation.

The Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement hoped that the truce would lead to a “permanent ceasefire and help in scaling up humanitarian assistance”.

“Indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces has caused unprecedented loss of lives and property and displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian Palestinians,” the statement read.

Islamabad further alleged that Israel’s expansionist designs have destabilised the entire region.

The statement added, “Pakistan reiterates its support for a just, comprehensive, and durable solution to the Palestinian issue, leading to the establishment of a sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, paving the way for a possible end to the 15-month war in the Middle East.

The deal follows months of talks brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with US backing, and comes just before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

Israeli troops invaded Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and infiltrated Israeli communities, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.