Pakistan says Israeli atrocities in Gaza amount to 'war crimes'

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Reiterating its call for an “end to the carnage” in Gaza, Pakistan on Thursday said it has concerns about Israeli "atrocities" in Gaza, which amount to "war crimes."

“Pakistan has concerns about Israeli atrocities which are taking place currently in Gaza and we believe these atrocities amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told Anadolu during a weekly news briefing in the capital Islamabad.

When reminded that Türkiye, and Journalists Without Borders are preparing to prosecute Israel as a war criminal in the International Criminal Court, she said: “As far as the International Criminal Court is concerned, Pakistan is not party to the Rome Statute of ICC, and we are not a member of ICC.”

However, she urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to "act and fulfill its responsibility of upholding peace."

“It (UNSC) must call for lifting the siege, protecting civilians, and facilitating humanitarian corridors for provision of uninterrupted relief supplies for the beleaguered people of Gaza,” the spokeswoman said.

She added that Pakistan remains "deeply" concerned about the dire situation in "occupied Palestine."

“Israel’s relentless and indiscriminate bombing campaign, its inhumane siege of Gaza, and deliberate strikes against civilian targets, including refugee camps, hospitals, and apartment buildings, have created an unacceptable humanitarian situation,” Baloch maintained.

“These war crimes are being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces with full impunity as the international community continues to repeatedly fail the people of Palestine,” she went on to say.

Noting that last week's UN General Assembly resolution reflects the "growing international consensus" on the situation of Palestine, she called on the international community to play its part in bringing an end to the "atrocities in occupied Palestine."

The escalation comes as Israel widened its air and ground operations in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Israeli border towns on Oct. 7.

Nearly 10,600 people have been killed in the conflict, including 9,061 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.