FM Jilani underscores urgency of ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister (FM) Jalil Abbas Jilani has underscored the urgency of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and safe passage for humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The foreign minister stressed the need for immediate ceasefire during a telephonic conversation with Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power.

Taking to X (Formerly Twitter), FM Jilani said they discussed the USAID projects in Pakistan especially on climate change.

Received a call from USAID Administrator Samantha Power @PowerUSAID. Discussed USAID projects in 🇵🇰 esp on climate change,🇵🇰 🇺🇸 bilateral ties , Afghans relocation to 🇺🇸 & situation in #Gaza.
I stressed on the need for ceasefire & provision of immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza.

— Jalil Abbas Jilani (@JalilJilani) October 31, 2023

They also deliberated over the Pakistan-US bilateral ties, relocation of Afghan nationals to the US and the prevailing situation in Gaza.

Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Hamas fighters stormed across the border on October 7. The health ministry in the Gaza Strip said the strikes have killed more than 8,500 people, mainly civilians.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said that the Gaza Strip has become a graveyard for thousands of children as it feared the prospect of more dying of dehydration.

The UN children’s agency Unicef said there was a risk that the number of child deaths directly from bombardment could become eclipsed.

“Our gravest fears about the reported numbers of children killed becoming dozens, then hundreds, and ultimately thousands were realised in just a fortnight,” Unicef spokesman James Elder said in a statement.

“The numbers are appalling; reportedly more than 3,450 children killed; staggeringly this rises significantly every day.”

“Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children. It’s a living hell for everyone else.” He said the more than one million children living in the Gaza Strip were also suffering from a lack of clean water.