Thousands amass in Pakistan's capital to show solidarity with Palestinians

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Thousands gathered near Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Monday to express solidarity with Palestinians, in a latest show of support to the people of Gaza.

Aside from women and children, a number of lawmakers and visiting businessmen from Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Russia converged in Blue World City, a high-end neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad.

The event included a symbolic laying of the foundation stone for a replica of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Aqsa Museum, serving as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle in Palestine.

"Palestine cannot be forgotten. It's settled in our DNA," said Chaudhry Naeem Ejaz, a member of the lower house or the National Assembly.

"Pakistanis will continue to support the people of Gaza come what may," he said as participants waved the tri-color Palestinian flags.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year which killed some 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,600 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.