Pakistan “vehemently condemns” ongoing raids by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, which have “resulted in numerous casualties and the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure”.

Addressing a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the Israeli military’s operations in the area “raises serious concerns under the principles of proportionality and distinction, which are the core principle of the international humanitarian law”.

“[The] targeting of individuals sheltered in refugee camps is yet another breach of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation forces,” she added. “This demonstrates their contempt for international law and the basic tenets of decency and acceptable international behaviour.”

“Pakistan calls for an immediate cessation of these raids masqueraded as military operations in the West Bank,” the spokesperson added. “We believe that the path to lasting peace cannot be achieved through aggression.”

“We call on the UN Security Council to play its role in preventing Israeli occupation forces from further attacks against civilians, holding Israel accountable for its war crimes, and taking effective measures to protect the Palestinian people,” Baloch said.