US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a phone call with Israel Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, reinforced the “unquestionable necessity” of protecting civilians and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid before any potential military operation in Rafah, the Pentagon said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

 Palestinian child carries an empty US ammunition container in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. — AFP
Palestinian child carries an empty US ammunition container in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 16, 2024. — AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Maritime alliance
Updated 01 Aug, 2026

Maritime alliance

AS the US-Iran war drags on, new battle lines are being drawn. The pro-US Gulf Arab monarchies and Iran have enjoyed...
Local governance
01 Aug, 2026

Local governance

INTERIOR Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s speech at a business summit on Thursday has stirred a hornet’s nest. His...
Murders in Balochistan
01 Aug, 2026

Murders in Balochistan

GOOD news is scarce in Balochistan. Seven labourers were abducted and gunned down in Turbat city recently. Four...
Expanding conflict
31 Jul, 2026

Expanding conflict

WITH neither of the belligerents willing to back down, and the theatre of conflict expanding geographically, the...
Spoils and spats
31 Jul, 2026

Spoils and spats

A FIGHT over assembly seats in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has laid bare what seem to be some deep resentments between ...
Unfair tax system
31 Jul, 2026

Unfair tax system

THE disclosure that the FBR collected nearly Rs1.9tr in sales and income taxes through electricity bills over the...