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A Palestinian mother comforts her child, after what medics said was an Israeli shell that hit a UN-run school sheltering Palestinian refugees, at a hospital in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip July 24, 2014. – Reuters Photo
Women supporters of Pakistani political and Islamic party Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) hold placards in support of the Palestinian people during a protest rally to denounce Israel's military campaign in Gaza, in Islamabad on July 24, 2014. – AFP Photo
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced Friday as a day of mourning to show solidarity with people of Gaza, his office said in a statement on Thursday.
“Moreover, the Prime Minister has ordered to contribute one million dollars in UN flash appeal for Gaza Palestinians,” it said.
Pakistan demands ‘humanitarian pause’ in Gaza
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan also called for an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza to allow humanitarian relief to reach Palestinians as the death toll in the besieged territory rose to more than 740.
The appeal came a day after Pakistan voted along with other UN Human Rights Council members to launch a probe into Israel's offensive in the territory, with rights chief Navi Pillay saying the Jewish state's military actions could amount to war crimes.
The 47-member council backed a Palestinian-drafted resolution by 29 votes, with Arab and fellow Muslim countries joined by China and Russia, plus Latin American and African nations. The United States was the sole member to vote against the resolution while the European countries abstained.
“The blockade of Gaza must be ended in order to allow access of any humanitarian assistance,” Pakistan's most senior foreign office bureaucrat Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry told a press briefing.
“And that is why even in the UN Security Council and later in UN Human Rights Council we called for humanitarian pauses,” Chaudhry said.
“Unless this blockade is lifted we cannot send any relief assistance,” he continued.
Some 746 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a military operation to halt rocket fire from the besieged territory on July 8.
Chaudhry said the Israeli military offensive had led to the killings in Gaza of “innocent non-combatant and unarmed Palestinians including women and children.”
“We have spoken clearly and unambiguously in the United Nations Security Council yesterday and call for an end to hostilities and to revive the peace talks.”
He said Pakistan was also actively working with Muslim and like-minded countries to secure humanitarian access to those who are badly wounded and stranded in the shelters.
“It is important that the blockade of Gaza is ended, its borders opened and the Palestinian prisoners released,” Chaudhry said.
The United Nations said on Wednesday that three quarters of those killed were civilians and one third of those were children – the equivalent of one child killed each hour over the previous two days.
Situated on the Mediterranean coast, flanking Israel and Egypt, the Gaza Strip is home to 1.7 million Palestinians who live in an area stretching just 362 square kilometres (140 square miles), making it one of the most densely-populated territories on the planet.
Israel began a blockade on Gaza in 2007 following the election of Hamas a year earlier and maintains it is necessary to limit Palestinian rocket attacks.
Comments (51) Closed
Any concerns for killings in Waziristan!!
Send in your army if you really care. Words and condemnation have no meaning here. This is a war, no debate.
Any humanitarian aid for North Wazirstan exodus?
Why are so called "people of the book" always fighting?
We are not demanding a freakin 'humanitarian pause'. We are demanding an immediate and permanent halt to the aggression, along with lifting of the blockade and ending the prison-like atmosphere for Gaza.
How about some money and a day of solidarity for our very own IDPs
Impotent ones mourn. Potent ones do. There is NO mourning in Gaza.
Enough said.
Make Israel pay the price of this crisis.
..and the whole 'civilized' world is JUST watching this terror from terrorist Israel ...
Yes on the day of mourning burn some of the local property of local businesses and then finish off achieving nothing.
Protecting your country is one thing..but killing hundreds and hundreds of defenseless civilians ...half of them children cannot have any justification. Can't believe this is being allowed by the international community.. am absolutely disillusioned. Shame on ISRAEL..
When 100s of Hazara were getting killed in Quetta there was no mourning. Munafiqat.
what about IDPs...we are in a state of war! And what are we stuck up on! Please for once our politicians should look outside of their shameless selves... Please!
@Jasbindar What book is that?
@Rahul
more concerns for Kashmir.
@Sunil
That being dealt. Concern is for Kashmit.
only protesting at your home country is not enough if u want to do some thing remarkable please send in your armed forces, why cant u do this i cant understand,when Us can destroy Iraq, on mere ground of suspicion why cant paKistan invade isreal on humanitarian grounds.
One day of mourning on Friday, ok fine. What then? How is it going to help the Palestinians or damage the Israelis? Get real man, do something concrete.
I see some irrelavent comments from Rahul and Sunil, trying to relate Gaza to NW, I understand it hurts them since Pakistan army is after indian strategic assets in North Wazirstan.
NW people are well taken care by Govt. and trusted NGO's like Jamat-u-Dawah and Alkhidmat trust
Israeli aggression has been going on over a week. Nawaz Sharif sitting in Saudi Arabia just now thought of a mourning day. It is all about getting mileage out of it. What is our 'big brother' Saudi Arabia doing ? And where is our civil society, the liberals, the secularists who rush to light candles at night when a secular interest is at stake. So we have left every thing else to Jamaat -e- Islami.
keep doing more for the people of Gaza; good initiative
How about some mourning for people and especially women of Iraq,Syria, idp of waziristan.
@Rahul Waziristan and Palestine are considered the same by us, as they are both muslims. Nice try in wedging difference between us but thats expected from people across the border from india. SHAME on you.
Did Mr. Sharif as a young man protested against the killing of 33,000 Palestinians in Amman, Jordan by Pakistan Army under Dictator Zia. Zia was Nawaz Sharif's god father. However protest against Israel is overdue at home and in the united nations.
Thats is great news! you know it wont kill you all to say a few words of appreciation if someone tries to do some good. Honestly, no one can make the whole world happy. But just take moment and be proud to be one of a few countries that cares.
Charity begins at home. PM, what you did for IDPs.
Does the world care if we have a day of mourning or not? NS is on holiday himself, so he wants the country to shut down the business too. Is this the best he could do...there is no vision!
God will bless on you InSha ALLAH!
What ever happened to that word so often repeated, "omah'' ?
please mourn your own 50k dead in the last few years,show solidarity with your own people.
Is that Pakistan can do. Why no offer of material support or for that matter military support. Where are the Talibans why can't they go there to fight against Israel.
@AKNasser There is no ummah! only leaders whose survival depepends on following the edict from the west. Look at what happened to Bhutto and King Faisal when they tried to bring the muslims together.
@Humayun Akhtar I think they are on the run in NW.
Is there someone who can organize a full ship load of food and medicine to Gaza. Turkey has a strong navy. They can escort the ship to Gaza. Any one please. We have lot of generous people. I will love to give my time to organize such a move.
@muslim bin akil - Why do you want Pak army in this? In the 1948 Arab
Ukrainian rebels shot down civilian plane and killed 298 innocent people and I heard nothing from there people.......no rallies against ISIS atrocities in Iraq either?...religious biased people, no wonder Pakistan is going in backward direction in time
@Jasbindar israiel is killing innocent children and you blame Muslims for defending themself? They don't have the right to defend themself ? And all those Indians support israiel I wish someday someone does the same to you and than you will understand the pain. And yes PM is giving aid to the north waziristan people at first you wanted to attack terrorist now we do you are crying let me guess the brothers you support dying now ?
Arrest these 750 Jew-American terrorists who are killing innocent women & children everywhere in Palestine including but not limited to Hospitals, schools and now UN shelters ...Its a total shame of this biased 'civilized' world who JUST watching these brutal atrocities and doing nothing to stop the world-worst terrorist Israel ...SHAME...
a) We should stand for innocent people who suffering anywhere in the world. But, our own people are suffering also. Maybe that 1 million USD would serve the people here better. We should not put a price against human lives but I still believe our poor and oppressed are equally deserving, if not more, for this aid.
b) Typical. Whenever there is a resolution which will question Israel's actions, United States will always vote against and the European countries mostly abstain. And the process is stalled. I understand US stand, but these European country might as well show their true face and vote against as well. Political correctness is a disease.
c) The same European countries are loud and clear against the Russian atrocity related to the Malaysian airline crash. Simply because mostly their people lost lives and it serves their political purpose.
I want an immediate response from my country, the USA. I would like President Obama to: 1)speak out against these atrocities of innocent civilians of Gaza, 2) immediately send a convoy of ships to Gaza with a seaworthy hospital and several ships of supplies to aid these hapless people and 3) evacuate to safety the civilians caught in this relentless blitzkreig raining down on innocent people. In addition, I would like to see some immediate humanitarian action from the following: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah of Jordan General al Sissi of Egypt The European Union
The conscience of world has been awakened by this barbarous assault on innocent human beings...
Pakistan should also disclose how many civilians have died in N. Waziristan. Why Pakistan does not let media go in there? Pakistanis can also pray for innocents killed in N. Waziristan. I saw one youtube news which reported 16 members of a family were killed when this bombing was started.
Our PM and his followers can only do this by observing yom-e-sog.
Open your eyes and get a lesson from South Africa, a non-muslim nation that has official banned import of Israeli products.
Always shame on our leaders and all the people that vote them and give them powers. Enjoy jahil majority.
@uzair Syed cant agree with u more
An immoral nation can do nothing without waving hands.....down with pakistan. Every muslim had expectations with pakistan but it is dead now...they are dead now...herd of buffaloes.
Pakistanis are quick to mourn and lament for Muslims in distant lands but oblivious to the plight of their next door neighbor. Pakistanis always exercise the opposite of what they are supposed to do. Sajda instead of qiam and vice versa.
What about this new muslim caliphate who is on rampage killing Iraqi people (sunnis and shias both)? Why there is no protest or condemnation from the Muslim countries?
@Jamal:"'civilized' world is JUST watching this terror from terrorist Israel "
Actually enjoying the 'show' as is the Muslim community. Remember the Israelis are the 'Good' guys. And Muslims the 'Bad' ones. It is a matter of perception...image built by media, not based on objective facts, not on reality.
Mr p m! Think of some practical measures. Day of mourning. Plz dont sprinkle salt on the wounds of palestinians
We shouldn't blame others for our disastrous situation at the moment. we should be aware of our actions. we had been categorically told that there shouldn't be any preference over each other. if there is any then that should be Taqwa. But what we do? we have become ritualistic . we are a population bomb. we take little responsibility to bring our children up as humans. we bring them up as zealots. we make them a burden on this earth. The responsibility rest upon on all of us.. Education ~ first. I hope that the Tekadaraan of our faith or the sponsors of our rituals and dogma in the middle east do pay attention to this bitter fact. if we claim that we have the best of the best so the best of the best should make us the best in the world and not the worst as it is now. Amean!
Lol :) We must learn from Pakistan- such a rich country- abundant with resources, high standard of living exhibiting such a concern for another nation very far away from its borders...! I am inspired dear Pakistan !
@Uzair Syed Have you ever questioned your guv or Army how Indian strategic assets could reach Pakistan? Don't your soldiers guard the borders? Jamat-u-Dawah a trusted NGO? Its a declared terrorist organisation by your friend USA, leave India. They are only trying to influence people and encourage them for terrorism and it will have serious consequences for your country in days to come. B careful.