Islamuddin Sajid
06 July 2023•Update: 06 July 2023
ISLAMABAD
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned Israeli violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, saying Tel Aviv is committing war crimes "for all practical purposes" and is encouraged by global silence.
"Encouraged by global silence and without any care for the consequences, what Israel is doing in Occupied West Bank constitutes war crimes for all practical purposes," Sharif said.
"Let there be no doubt about it. The killing of 12 Palestinians including five children as a result of the Israeli aerial & ground operations in Jenin Refugee Camp may just be a statistic to the world but they are real people of flesh & blood who are being massacred for demanding their fundamental rights," he said on Twitter.
Israeli forces' raids into Palestinian towns have led to escalating tensions across the occupied West Bank in recent months, which included Monday’s raid on Jenin.
At least 12 Palestinians were killed and more than 140 injured in the latest offensive, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Five of the fatalities were minors.
Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.
"The sight of thousands of refugees being forced to flee the camp owing to Israeli air strikes will continue to haunt the world's conscience," the Pakistani premier said.
Over 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry.
At least 25 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.
