Pakistan condemns Israeli airstrike on Gaza safe zone, calls attack 'genocidal'

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike targeting a declared safe zone for displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, describing the attack as "genocidal."

In a statement on Thursday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, expressed outrage over the assault on civilians seeking refuge in a tent camp in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis.

“The targeting of individuals seeking refuge in a designated safe zone represents a gross breach of international humanitarian law,” Baloch told reporters in Islamabad, adding that the attack highlights a flagrant violation of protections for civilian populations.

Baloch emphasized that the strike, which left at least 40 dead and dozens wounded, took place without prior warning and underscored Israel’s "genocidal" intentions against Palestinians.

"The carnage in Khan Younis demonstrates a disregard for human life and Israel’s genocidal designs against the Palestinian people," she said.

Pakistan urged the United Nations Security Council to intervene and prevent further escalation, calling for accountability for what it called war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The airstrike, which hit the tent camp early Tuesday, is part of an ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, where more than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since a cross-border Hamas attack in October last year.

The relentless bombardment has devastated the territory, leaving much of it in ruins and exacerbating human suffering.