Israel committing war crimes in Gaza: Siraj

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq has said Israel is engaging in war crimes in Gaza and urged the international community to assume a responsible role in liberating Palestine from the illegal occupation of the Jewish state.

Talking to Muslim World Congress leader Raja Zafarul Haq who visited him here on Monday, Siraj said Israel was using chemical bombs in Gaza, compelling over a million residents to flee their homes. He described Gaza as a landscape of destruction with severe shortages of water, food and essential medications, affecting thousands of people. He said Israeli forces were targeting the civilian population, including children and women, even during evacuation process. He said he had initiated a Gaza fund and appealed to Pakistanis to generously contribute to aiding the troubled Palestinians.

He stressed the importance of international human rights and welfare organizations gaining access to Gaza to provide necessary assistance. He said Palestinians had been striving for independence for decades, and the relentless cruelty imposed on them by the Zionist regime was not a new occurrence. The plot of a greater Israel must be thwarted and that the holy land and the Masjid-e-Aqsa would soon attain independence. He urged leaders of the Muslim world to support the Palestinian cause, emphasizing that it was crucial for them to truly represent the sentiments of the Muslim Ummah.

Meanwhile, the JI is set to host a national conference on Palestine in Islamabad today (Tuesday). Siraj will chair the conference which will be attended by leaders from various political and religious parties. A joint declaration is expected to be issued at the conclusion of the conference.