JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday met the leadership of the Palestinian group Hamas in Qatar during which the latter said that it was the duty of the Muslim world to “unite against Israeli injustices” as Tel Aviv continues to bombard the Gaza Strip.

On October 7, Hamas had launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza and killed 1,400 people, according to officials, while also taking more than 200 hostages.

In retaliation, Israel launched a brutal air and ground assault on Gaza, which has since killed more than 9,700 people, including at least 4,800 children, according to the health ministry.

Since Israel began striking the Palestinian enclave, protests have taken place in Pakistan and across the world demanding a ceasefire and condemning Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.

A statement issued by the JUI-F on social media platform X said that the Maulana met Hamas leaders Khaled Meshaal, the group’s former chief, and Ismail Haniyeh, its political head, in Qatar.

The statement quoted party spokesperson Aslam Ghauri as saying that Rehman had arrived in Qatar alongside a delegation on Saturday. During the meeting, there was a detailed exchange of views on the issue of Palestine, he said.

“Israel is attempting to change the status quo in Palestine through oppression and injustice, trying to alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” the Maulana said. He stated that the hands of the “advocates of developed countries” were stained with the blood of innocent women and children.

“Palestinians are not only fighting for their land but also waging a battle for the freedom of Al-Aqsa, fulfilling the duty of the Muslim Ummah,” he said.

“The time has come for the Muslim Ummah to stand shoulder to shoulder with Palestinian brothers in the field,” he added.

On the occasion, Haniyeh said that it was the “duty of the Muslim Ummah to unite against Israeli injustices”.

“Countries advocating for human rights are sailing ships filled with weapons to Tel Aviv,” the JUI-F statement quoted him as saying. “The Muslim Ummah should be in the field to support their Palestinian brothers, helping their mothers, sisters, and brothers,” he said.

Meshaal, meanwhile, was quoted as saying that the Kashmir and Palestine issues had long been “a litmus test for the advocated of human rights”. Both the leaders were quoted as saying that the Maulana was “playing the role of Pakistan’s ambassador to Palestine”.

In a separate post on X, the Maulana said he expressed condolences and solidarity with the Hamas leadership, on behalf of Pakistan and the party, for the ongoing Israeli atrocities in Gaza. He said that he assured them that “we stand by your side in every moral, political, and diplomatic field”.

“Haniyeh and Meshaal conveyed their heartfelt gratitude to the people of Pakistan and JUI workers for their full support to Palestinians,” he said.