France FM urges foreign press access to Gaza
Gaza: a positive development
'I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness,' he told France Inter radio in an interview from eastern Ukraine.
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Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Dar calls for immediate, unconditional Gaza truce at UN
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar addresses the UNSC's Open Debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question on Wednesday in New York. Photo: X Listen to article Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to pursue with urgency an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He was addressing the UNSC's Open Debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, where he warned that what the world has witnessed over the last nine months 'is not just a humanitarian catastrophe, but a collapse of humanity itself.' 'Gaza has become a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law—particularly international humanitarian law,' he said. 'Over 58,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed in Israel's brutal military assault,' he added. Dar highlighted the worsening food crisis in the besieged enclave, citing UN figures that show one-third of Gaza's population is going multiple days without eating—an indicator of catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaq50, presided over the United Nations Security Council's Quarterly Open Debate on the "Situation in the Middle East including the Palestinian Question". The Open Debate was upgraded to the Ministerial level… — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 23, 2025 Calling the Palestinian issue a 'litmus test' for the credibility of the United Nations and the Security Council, he warned that failing to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people would embolden impunity and weaken the legitimacy of the international rules-based order. Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's principled support for the Palestinian cause, reiterating Islamabad's call for the establishment of a viable, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. This, he said, remains the only just and durable solution endorsed by Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the consensus position of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Read More: Starvation-related deaths in Gaza mount to 111 He underscored the need for urgent humanitarian access across Gaza, stressing the importance of secure, sustained, and unhindered delivery of aid to civilians. Protection for humanitarian workers, medical personnel, and UN staff must also be ensured, he added. Dar called for immediate steps to restore aid supply lines and prevent famine from taking hold in the besieged territory. He also urged the international community to reinforce support for UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees, which he described as indispensable to the survival of millions. 🔴LIVE: DPM/FM's Statement at the UN Security Council's Quarterly Open Debate on ' The Situation in the Middle East and the Question of Palestine' — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 23, 2025 The foreign minister demanded an end to forced displacement of Palestinians, as well as the continued expansion of illegal settlements and annexation of occupied territory, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He warned that such actions were in direct contravention of international law and risked further destabilising the region. Highlighting the importance of post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation in Gaza, he welcomed the Arab and OIC-led reconstruction plan as a vital framework for rebuilding livelihoods, restoring dignity, and enabling long-term sustainable development. Also Read: UN says Israeli military killed over 1,000 seeking Gaza aid since late May DPM also called for the revival of a genuine, time-bound political process aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions. On broader regional issues, the foreign minister said Pakistan supported the stabilisation of Syria through an inclusive political process. He called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the separation zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, in line with UNSC resolutions 242, 338, and 497. Referring to Lebanon, he said Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire understanding must be upheld, while the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected. He also reaffirmed Pakistan's support for the UN-led peace process in Yemen and praised the roles of Saudi Arabia and Oman in facilitating dialogue. Dar welcomed growing international momentum for Palestinian statehood and full UN membership, reiterating Pakistan's support for such efforts. He said the time had come to give the Palestinian people what they had long been denied: justice, freedom, dignity, and a state of their own. This, he added, was the only path to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Forced starvation deaths climb to 111 in Gaza, including at least 80 children
A Palestinian man carries the body of a child killed in an overnight Israeli air strike on a house, at the site of the strike, in Gaza City on July 23, 2025. — Reuter Listen to article At least 10 Palestinians have died from forced starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths in Gaza to 111, including at least 80 children, according to the territory's health ministry. More than 100 international humanitarian organisations have issued an urgent appeal for governments to immediately open all land crossings into Gaza and restore access to essential supplies including food, clean water, medical aid, shelter materials and fuel. Almost 101 people died because of #starvation, including 80 children' Palestine Red Crescent Society Spokesperson Nebal Farsakh warns 'situation only getting worse' in #Gaza 'Unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe' — PRCS (@PalestineRCS) July 22, 2025 The organisations, in a joint statement published by Wafa news agency on Wednesday, also called for a UN-led humanitarian mechanism and an immediate, lasting ceasefire. 'Aid workers are now standing in food lines, risking gunfire, just to feed their families,' the statement said, blaming the Israeli government's continued blockade for the starvation gripping the enclave. Humanitarian agencies have reported a rapid physical deterioration among colleagues and local partners as aid supplies run critically low. Bodies of Palestinians are brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air raid. Photo: Anadolu Agency Separately, Gaza's Government Media Office confirmed the killing of two more Palestinian journalists, raising the total number of media workers killed since October 2023 to 231. The journalists, identified as Tamer al-Za'anin, a photojournalist affiliated with various outlets, and Walaa al-Jabari, a newspaper editor, were reportedly targeted in Israeli strikes. 'The Government Media Office condemns in the strongest terms the systematic targeting, killing and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the 'Israeli' occupation,' the office said in a statement on Telegram. A Palestinian boy inspects the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City on July 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters Read: Gaza starvation spirals amid Israeli assault Israeli airstrikes kill 21 today At least 21 more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, targeting the Tuffah neighbourhood, according to hospital sources. Al-Ahli Arab Hospital confirmed receiving bodies of the deceased and treating dozens of wounded. Additional casualties were reported in Khan Younis, Bani Suheila, and central Gaza, including Deir el-Balah. Bodies of Palestinians are brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air raid. Photo: Anadolu Agency Deir el-Balah, once considered a relatively safe area and a key hub for aid operations, has come under intensified Israeli ground activity. Humanitarian workers said the area is now experiencing renewed displacement orders amid large-scale destruction. The Israeli army withdrew from southern Deir el-Balah after a 24-hour operation that left displaced families without access to aid or shelter. Bodies of Palestinians are brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air raid [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu] AFP seeks urgent exit for reporters Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse (AFP) has urged Israel to allow the immediate evacuation of its freelance journalists from Gaza, describing their conditions as 'appalling' and 'untenable'. 'For months, we have watched helplessly as their living conditions deteriorated dramatically,' AFP said in a statement from its Paris headquarters. 'Their situation is now untenable, despite their exemplary courage, professional commitment, and resilience.' Palestinians look on while standing at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City on July 23, 2025. Photo: Reuters The AFP journalists' association, SDJ, warned on Monday that its staff in Gaza are facing extreme food shortages and risk starving due to the Israeli blockade. "Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger," the association said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Read more: Hamas says no interim truce possible without work toward permanent ceasefire The SDJ said AFP has been working with a team of one freelance reporter, three photographers, and six freelance video journalists in Gaza. One of them, Bashar Taleb, 30, posted on Meta: "I don't have the power to cover media anymore. My body is lean and I no longer have the ability to walk". He added that his older brother collapsed from hunger on Sunday morning. Despite receiving salaries, AFP freelancers in Gaza have reported being unable to find food or being forced to pay exorbitant prices. Israel's war on Gaza The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 58,667 Palestinians, including 17,400 children. More than 139,974 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. A proposed 60-day ceasefire deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump envoy Witkoff to travel to Europe and discuss Gaza, US official says
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Europe this week for meetings on Israel's war in Gaza and a range of other issues, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, adding Witkoff will continue pushing for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. Axios reported that Witkoff is expected to depart for Rome on Wednesday and arrive on Thursday for a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and a senior Qatari envoy. Gaza hospital says 21 children died from malnutrition and starvation in 72 hours If sufficient progress is made, Witkoff will travel from Rome to Doha toward the end of the week to secure a deal, the news website reported, citing a U.S. and an Israeli source. Why it's important Talks on a proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt with Washington's backing while the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave from U.S. ally Israel's military assault continues to mount. The ongoing war in Gaza has seen two ceasefires thus far, the most recent of which ended after two months when Israeli strikes killed over 400 Palestinians on March 18.
