<\/p>\n
Pakistan condemns “resulting destruction and massacre of the Palestinian people” while UN rights chief urges world powers to \u201crestrain rather than enable\u201d the military operation.<\/p>\n
Israel faces growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, as it prepared for an incursion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are trapped.<\/p>\n
After rejecting<\/a> Hamas\u2019 terms for a truce last week, Israel conducted a predawn raid in Rafah on Monday that freed two hostages and killed around 100 people<\/a>.<\/p>\n Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the operation that freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Luis Har, 70, as \u201cperfect\u201d, while the Palestinian foreign ministry said the deaths of dozens of Gazans amounted to a \u201cmassacre\u201d.<\/p>\n The rare rescue mission came hours after the Israel premier spoke with US President Joe Biden, who reiterated his opposition to a major assault on Rafah.<\/p>\n Netanyahu rebuffed Israel\u2019s key ally, insisting that \u201ccomplete victory\u201d cannot be achieved without the elimination of the militants\u2019 last battalions in Rafah.<\/p>\n Listed below are the countries and organisations that have voiced their concern and urged Israel to not proceed with its planned offensive in the overcrowded area of Rafah.<\/p>\n Pakistan has condemned Israel\u2019s \u201cmilitary aggression against Rafah city in Gaza and the resulting destruction and massacre of the Palestinian people\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement, the Foreign Office said: \u201cIsrael\u2019s offensive in Rafah violates the provisional measures<\/a> indicated by the International Court of Justice to protect the people of Gaza from \u201cgenocide\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will further aggravate the humanitarian disaster witnessed in Gaza over the last four months and jeopardise the ongoing efforts for a potential ceasefire,\u201d the FO warned.<\/p>\n Pakistan urged the \u201cinternational community, especially the UN Security Council, to take urgent measures to bring an immediate end to Israeli aggression and its incessant crimes against humanity\u201d.<\/p>\n Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani termed Israel\u2019s bombing in Rafah \u201cdeplorable and a grave violation of international law and human rights\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan condemns these acts of violence against innocent Palestinians and calls for an immediate ceasefire. The world cannot afford to look away,\u201d he said in a post on X.<\/p>\n The United Nations said<\/a> the prospect of a full Israeli incursion into Rafah was \u201cterrifying\u201d and risked an \u201cextremely high\u201d number of casualties.<\/p>\n UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged world powers to \u201crestrain rather than enable\u201d the military incursion.<\/p>\n \u201cA potential full-fledged military incursion into Rafah \u2014 where some 1.5 million Palestinians are packed against the Egyptian border with nowhere further to flee \u2014 is terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured,\u201d Turk said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, given the carnage wrought so far in Gaza, it is wholly imaginable what would lie ahead in Rafah.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond the pain and suffering of the bombs and bullets, this incursion into Rafah may also mean the end of the meagre humanitarian aid that has been entering and distributed with huge implications for all of Gaza, including the hundreds of thousands at grave risk of starvation and famine in the north.\u201d<\/p>\n EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged<\/a> allies of Israel, primarily the United States, to stop sending it weapons as \u201ctoo many people\u201d are being killed in Gaza.<\/p>\n Pointing to Biden\u2019s comment last week that Israel\u2019s military action was \u201cover the top\u201d, Borrell said: \u201cWell, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people have been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs (it) not logical?\u201d he asked, in a Brussels news conference alongside Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN\u2019s agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA whom Israel is pressuring to resign.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many times have you heard the most prominent leaders and foreign ministers around the world saying too many people are being killed?\u201d Borrell asked.<\/p>\n The diplomat slammed an order by Netanyahu that more than one million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah need to be \u201cevacuated\u201d ahead of a planned Israeli military operation there. \u201cThey are going to evacuate \u2014 where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?\u201d Borrell asked.<\/p>\n In a post on X, he echoed the warning that the offensive could \u201clead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt\u201d.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia cautioned against the \u201cvery serious repercussions\u201d of Israel \u201cstorming and targeting\u201d Rafah.<\/p>\n In a statement, the foreign ministry said Saudi Arabia \u201caffirms its categorical rejection and strong condemnation\u201d of the \u201cforcible deportation\u201d of Gazans.<\/p>\n Renewing its demand for an immediate ceasefire, it said Israel\u2019s \u201ccontinued violation of international law and international humanitarian law confirms the need for an urgent convening of the UN Security Council\u201d.<\/p>\n Egypt warned of \u201cdire consequences\u201d and a deepening of the \u201chumanitarian catastrophe\u201d in the city.<\/p>\n The Arab nation said in a statement it would \u201ccontinue its contacts and action with various parties in order to reach an immediate ceasefire, implement the truce and swap hostages and detainees\u201d in Gaza.<\/p>\n China urged Israel to stop its military operation in Rafah \u201cas soon as possible\u201d, warning of a \u201cserious humanitarian disaster\u201d there if fighting did not stop.<\/p>\n \u201cChina follows closely the developments in the Rafah area, opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians and violate international law,\u201d a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beijing urged Israel to \u201cstop its military operation as soon as possible, (and) make every effort to avoid innocent civilian casualties, in order to prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area\u201d.<\/p>\n Japan said it was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d about \u201creports of an Israeli military operation in Rafah\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, its foreign ministry said: \u201cAs the humanitarian situation on the ground deteriorates and the number of civilian casualties, including a large number of children, women, and elderly people, continues to rise, it is crucial to improve the humanitarian situation as soon as possible and to secure an environment in which humanitarian assistance activities can be carried out to achieve this.\u201d<\/p>\n It reiterated the importance of protecting civilians and urged \u201call parties to act in accordance with international law including international humanitarian law, and to act in good faith based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including ensuring humanitarian assistance\u201d.<\/p>\n Malaysia condemned in the \u201cstrongest terms the large-scale offensive in Rafah\u201d, terming it an \u201cirresponsible, illegal and inhumane assault\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> issued by its foreign ministry, it warned that the Israeli operation would \u201cexacerbate tension in the region, and further derail efforts towards immediate cessation of hostilities and permanent ceasefire\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMalaysia demands Israel to immediately desist and abide by its obligations under international law. This dastardly military operation clearly vindicates the key goal by the Zionist regime to annihilate the Palestinians from their own land,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Malaysia emphasised that the Israeli action would be in \u201cclear contempt of the rulings<\/a> by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 26 January 2024 on the six provisional measures\u201d.<\/p>\n Cuba has said the Israeli plan \u201cignores appeals of international community to observe international humanitarian law and stop the extermination of the Palestinian people\u201d.<\/p>\n In a post on X, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez Parrilla said, \u201cBombing of 1.4 million people crowded in an area of 55km\u00b2 is new evidence of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n The United States has angered some Middle East allies by consistently refusing to call for a full ceasefire, with Washington saying that it backs Israel\u2019s drive to defeat Hamas, and calling for shorter pauses with hostage deals instead.<\/p>\n US President Joe Biden said civilians in Rafah \u201cneed to be protected\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMany people there have been displaced \u2014 displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north, and now they\u2019re packed into Rafah \u2014 exposed and vulnerable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Biden has said his administration was trying to broker a six-week truce and, that while key elements were in place, \u201cgaps\u201d remained.<\/p>\n Once the warring parties agree to the ceasefire, \u201csomething more enduring\u201d could be broached, the US president said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders urged against continuing US military aid to Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one in Congress should vote to send $10 billion in military aid to Netanyahu\u2019s war machine when they are responsible for an unprecedented humanitarian disaster,\u201d he said in a post on X.<\/p>\n Separately, he told the Congress that US\u2019 military aid to Israel makes Washington directly complicit in the Gaza conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is happening in Gaza now is funded with US taxpayer dollars. These are our bombs and our military equipment that is being used.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are complicit. This is not just an Israeli war. It is an American war,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II appealed for a full ceasefire to end the Gaza offensive after talks with Biden, striking a discordant note with the US president who is seeking a shorter six-week pause to give Israel time to defeat Hamas.<\/p>\n Speaking at the White House, the two leaders both warned however against any indiscriminate Israeli ground incursion into Rafah.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah. It is certain to produce another humanitarian catastrophe,\u201d said the Jordanian monarch.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now \u2014 this war must end,\u201d added Abdullah, who has repeatedly pushed for a full truce to end the recent escalation.<\/p>\n Header image: People inspect debris and rubble in a building heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Feb 11. \u2014 AFP<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pakistan condemns “resulting destruction and massacre of the Palestinian people” while UN rights chief urges world powers to \u201crestrain rather than enable\u201d the military operation. Israel faces growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, as it prepared for an incursion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah where more than a million […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2024\/02\/1315125849f4152.jpg?r=152104","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Pakistan<\/h2>\n
United Nations<\/h2>\n
European Union<\/h2>\n
Saudi Arabia<\/h2>\n
Egypt<\/h2>\n
China<\/h2>\n
Japan<\/h2>\n
Malaysia<\/h2>\n
Cuba<\/h2>\n
United States<\/h2>\n
Jordan<\/h2>\n