
Pakistan to dispatch 17th consignment of relief goods for Gaza, Palestine today
On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the NDMA has completed preparations to send its first consignment of 100 tonnes of relief goods to Palestine, the disaster management authority spokesperson said, adding that the relief package consists of food items and medicines.
'The first relief flight will depart from the Islamabad airport this evening. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik will be the chief guests at the departure ceremony of the relief goods,' the NDMA spokesperson said.
The 100-tonne consignment will be transported via a special flight to Amman, Jordan.
Germany says 'very insufficient' aid entering Gaza
Whereas, the NDMA will send a total of 200 tonnes of relief goods to Palestine, through special flights tomorrow as well.
So far, on the PM's directives, the NDMA has dispatched a total of 1,715 tonnes of aid to Palestine.
Gaza starving
A human tragedy is unfolding in western Gaza City across a landscape of hunger, with displaced people living crammed into crowded tents, according to a United Nations' report describing the horrendous situation resulting from the Israeli blockade of the shattered enclave.
Earning a living has become a daily struggle, and hundreds of men, women and children stand in endless queues, under the scorching sun, outside the few community kitchens that serve nothing but lentil soup, the report from Gaza said.
A community kitchen in western Gaza reveals a panorama of painful scenes amid displaced people suffering, their cries for help and their urgent appeals to the world, demanding an end to their tragedy and relief, it said, describing the scene.
After a bitter struggle, Ziad Al-Ghariz, an elderly displaced person from Gaza, managed to obtain a cup of lentil soup. He sat on the floor and began to take slow sips. He told UN News, an international media website, that he had not tasted bread for 10 consecutive days.
'I eat the lentil soup distributed by the community kitchen,' he said. 'I cannot afford flour at all. I do not have the money for it, so I try to get whatever the kitchen distributes. The people of Gaza are hungry.'
Young Mohammed Nayfeh spent four hours waiting for a meal for his family, the report said.
Gaza death toll hits 60,000 as global monitor demands action to avert famine
'I've been standing here for four hours, and I can't get any food in the crowds and the sun,' he said. 'We're dying. We need support. We need food and drink. Where is the world? We're dying here of hunger. Every day we eat only lentils. There's no flour, no food, no drink. We're dying of hunger.'
Umm Muhammad, a displaced person from the Shujaiya neighborhood, described the macabre scene around her.
'There is no water, no food, no bread,' she said. 'The bitterness of the situation forces us to come here. In the end, we return with nothing. We either return burned under the sun or trampled underfoot due to overcrowding, and we return empty-handed. And no one listens.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
PM turns up the pace on relief for flood-hit G-B
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced a Rs4 billion relief package for Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) to help the region cope with recent flood devastation and instructed for establishing an advanced weather alert system to minimise losses in any future eventuality. The prime minister visited G-B to take stock of the devastation caused by persistent heavy rainfall, landslides, and flooding. During his visit, he chaired high-level meetings and also discussed the status of ongoing development projects with the local leadership. The country's northern and central regions have witnessed heavy rains since the monsoon season began in the last week of June. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), these rains and subsequent flash floods have resulted in 299 deaths nationwide. Last week, the G-B government declared a state of emergency in 37 flood-ravaged areas across the region. The catastrophic flash floods have claimed at least 10 lives, left several tourists missing, and caused an estimated Rs20 billion in damages. G-B government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq had appealed for federal support in the wake of the massive devastation, expressing hope that the national leadership would step in to assist the victims and help heal their wounds. Speaking at a ceremony in Gilgit on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz announced the Rs4 billion package for relief and rehabilitation in the flood-hit areas. He also distributed cheques among the families of those who were killed in the recent floods and rains. Shehbaz directed that work on repairing damaged roads, infrastructure, and other development projects in the area be accelerated. He assured that the federal government would continue to collaborate with the G-B government in its relief efforts. Meanwhile, chairing a meeting on rehabilitation work, the prime minister emphasised the need for early warning systems, preparedness for relief operations, and the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure in vulnerable areas, keeping in view the challenges of climate change. "The NDMA and the Ministry of Climate Change should jointly establish a forecasting and monitoring centre for Gilgit-Baltistan in the coming months," the prime minister told the meeting. He added that a comprehensive system must be developed for immediate rescue and assistance in emergencies. During the meeting, the provincial administration and the NDMA chairman briefed the prime minister on the losses caused by the heavy monsoon rains, the expected weather conditions, and the actions taken so far. The Ministry of Climate Change informed the meeting about the progress on installing an early warning system for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), while the Ministry of Communications provided a briefing on the damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. The prime minister instructed that all damaged infrastructure should be rebuilt with climate resilience in mind. He directed the NDMA to cooperate with the Ministry of Climate Change to complete the installation of the early warning system within the next two months. Regarding development projects, the prime minister announced that Daanish Schools would be established in Gilgit-Baltistan. He also mentioned that he was personally overseeing the solar power project approved by the Central Development Working Party for the region. During his daylong visit, the prime minister met with G-B Governor Mehdi Shah, who apprised him of the post-flood situation. Separately, G-B Chief Minister Gulbar Khan also called on the prime minister to discuss key local issues. (WITH INPUT FROM APP)


Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Israel mulls seizing entire Gaza
Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet this week to decide on Israel's next steps in Gaza following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas, with one senior Israeli source suggesting more force could be an option. Last Saturday, during a visit to the country, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had said he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. But Israeli officials have also floated ideas including expanding the military offensive in Gaza and annexing parts of the shattered enclave. The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to clinch agreements on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown into Gaza and half of the hostages Hamas is holding would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. After Netanyahu met Witkoff last Thursday, a senior Israeli official said that "an understanding was emerging between Washington and Israel," of a need to shift from a truce to a comprehensive deal that would "release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip", - Israel's key conditions for ending the war. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday that the envoy's visit was seen in Israel as "very significant". But later on Sunday, the Israeli official signalled that pursuit of a deal would be pointless, threatening more force: "An understanding is emerging that Hamas is not interested in a deal and therefore the prime minister is pushing to release the hostages while pressing for military defeat. Israel's Channel 12 on Monday cited an official from his office as saying that Netanyahu was inclining towards expanding the offensive and seizing the entire Palestinian enclave. Strategic clarity What a "military defeat" might mean, however, is up for debate within the Israeli leadership. Some Israeli officials have suggested that Israel might declare it was annexing parts of Gaza as a means to pressure the militant group. Others, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir want to see Israel impose military rule in Gaza before annexing it and re-establishing the Jewish settlements Israel evicted 20 years ago. The Israeli military, which has pushed back at such ideas throughout the war, was expected on Tuesday to present alternatives that include extending into areas of Gaza where it has not yet operated, according to two defence officials. While some in the political leadership are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials said. Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become increasingly frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition with Hamas militants. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report but said that the military has plans in store. "We have different ways to fight the terror organization, and that's what the army does," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which included a call on Hamas to hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority


Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
PM condemns Israeli settlers for storming Al-Aqsa mosque
Pakistan on Monday unequivocally condemned the recent storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers, accompanied by settler groups and shielded by Israeli police. "This sacrilege against one of Islam's holiest sites is not only an affront to the faith of over a billion Muslims, but also a direct assault on international law and the collective conscience of humanity," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on his X timeline. He said that such systematic provocations by the occupying power, coupled with reckless calls for annexation, imperil the prospects for peace. The prime minister said that Israel's shameless actions were deliberately inflaming tensions in Palestine and the wider region, pushing the Middle East closer to further instability and conflict. "Pakistan reiterates its urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all acts of aggression, and the revival of a credible peace process leading to an independent and viable State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, under international law and relevant UN resolutions," Prime Minister Shehbaz added. Separately, Islamabad has strongly condemned the provocative and deeply offensive desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque by thousands of Israeli settlers, including senior ministers, officials, and Knesset members, under the protection of Israeli occupying forces. In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the presence and statements of senior Israeli officials, and the repugnant declaration that "the Temple Mount is ours," are a dangerous and deliberate attempt to provoke religious sentiments across the world, escalate tensions, and alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.