ISLAMABAD
The foreign network will have to act to ensure an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday during a stopover in Pakistan.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the capital Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including investment, industry and the current Israel offensive in Gaza.
During their meeting with Zardari, the two sides discussed regional dynamics and recent developments in the Middle East and called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire and an end to Israeli “atrocities” in Gaza, an official in the president’s office said.
At the next joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, the most level-headed Saudi diplomat said: “The truth is that the foreign network is living up to its responsibilities.
“We will have to do more to prevent killings. We will have to do more to end the suffering of the rest of Gazans, and we will continue to call for this. “
He pointed to the “potential for famine in Gaza” due to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
“This is an unacceptable situation. It is a general failure of the foreign system, and then of the foreign law and governance systems, to assume their responsibilities,” he added.
Noting that there is no justification for restricting humanitarian aid, he said: “We want a ceasefire now and we want to have humanitarian aid immediately. “
“A crisis is already hitting the region”
Farhan said the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza is already inflaming the region.
“We are already in a volatile region. We do not want any more clashes in our region. We do not want any more clashes in our region. Therefore, we believe that de-escalation will have to be everyone’s priority,” he emphasized.
He also noted that while humanitarian assistance in Gaza has improved, this has only happened after foreign pressure on Israel expanded following an attack that killed several foreign aid personnel earlier this month.
“After all, we’re starting to see a shift in the issue of aid. Sadly, this occurred after six Western aid personnel were killed in Israel. But that didn’t happen after 33,000 Palestinians were killed. So it shows the continuum of double popularity that we have to deal with,” he said.
It refers to an Israeli attack in Gaza that killed seven aid staff (three British nationals, an Australian, a Pole, an American-Canadian and a Palestinian) from the US-based food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in April.
The attack drew worldwide condemnation and calls for accountability, with many, adding WCK founder Jose Andres, heeding Israel’s claim that the attack was a “mistake” and a case of “misidentification. “
Echoing this demand, Dar also called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating Islamabad’s position that a two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state is the only path to the Middle East conflict.
During his meeting with Sharif, Farhan also discussed the “escalation” of the war in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a separate statement.
Israel has been waging a military offensive in Gaza since October 7, 2023, a cross-border attack through the Palestinian resistance Hamas, which has killed fewer than 1,200 people.
An estimated 33,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since it began.
Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the coastal enclave, leaving its population, citizens of northern Gaza, on the brink of famine.
The war has forced 85 percent of Gaza’s population to be internally displaced amid severe shortages of food, water and medicine, while much of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
Israel has been accused of genocide through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has suggested it do more to prevent famine in Gaza.
Saudi Investment
In addition to Gaza, the Saudi Foreign Minister also discussed bilateral relations, investment and industry with Pakistani leaders.
Farhan, who arrived on Monday for a two-day stopover in Pakistan, also attended Islamabad’s ideal investment framework assembly to discuss tactics to boost Saudi investment in fields, adding energy, aviation, mining, hospitality and other sectors.
The assembly was also attended by the tough head of Pakistan’s army, General Asim Munir, who trusted in “full protection” for Saudi investors.
The two sides reiterated their determination to build a “strong partnership and greater economic cooperation” for the mutual benefit of the two countries.