After Friday prayers, thousands of people demonstrated around the nation against Israel’s embargo and heavy bombing of the Gaza Strip in punishment for Hamas attacks.
Protests across Pakistan in support of Palestinians: Protesters organized by political and religious groups in the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and the capital Islamabad burned the US and Israeli flags.
Shahid Husain, a 47-year-old protester, claimed that the leaders of Muslim countries were neglecting to defend Palestinians.
Speaking from Peshawar’s famous Qissa Khwani Bazaar, he stated, “We took to the streets to make our rulers realize that they should not fear the US and that the public expects them to support Palestine, not Israel and America.”
A small number of people also came for pro-Palestinian protests arranged by the Taliban in the Afghan capitals of Kabul and Jalalabad.
One speaker assured the throng, “Palestine you are not alone, we are with you.” “Despite our lack of resources, we shall try our best. Today, all we can do is stand in your support and utilise our feet.
Hamas militants killed over 1,300 Israelis over the weekend in the bloodiest assault on the nation since its founding in 1948.
Hamas took around 150 hostages, including dozens of Israelis and other dual citizens, whom they have threatened to kill.
“Gaza Conflict: Israeli Retaliation, UN Appeals, and Pakistani Government’s Response”
In retaliation, Israel bombarded Gaza with air and artillery assaults for six days, causing more than 400,000 Palestinians to flee the congested territory and killing more than 1,500 people.
The Pakistani government has denounced the Israeli government’s “indiscriminate and excessive use of force” as well as “the inhumane blockade and collective punishment by Israeli forces.”
As it continues to hammer the enclave, the UN has urged the Israeli army to revoke its directive for the rapid transfer of 1.1 million Palestinians from north to south Gaza.
A land, air, and sea embargo has been in place against the crowded and poor region since 2006, where 2.3 million people are crammed together. Further, Israel has now cut off the enclave’s access to water, electricity, and food supplies, placing it under siege.