Pakistan on Sunday condemned Israeli “adventurism” in the Middle East region, terming the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon a “reckless act”, constituting a major escalation in the region.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah had on Saturday confirmed that its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed and vowed to continue the battle against Israel.
Tel Aviv said it conducted an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs a day earlier in what would be a devastating blow to the group as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks.
A statement released by the Foreign Office today read, “Pakistan strongly condemns the growing Israeli adventurism in the Middle East. Its unbridled attacks on civilian populations and disregard of international law have reached alarming levels.”
It noted that for the past several days, Israel had “engaged in unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of Lebanon, relentlessly targeting civilian population centers, and undermining its stability and security”.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of Israeli aggression and the people of Lebanon,” the statement said.
“Pakistan continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon,” it added, urging the United Nations Security Council to stop Israel from its “adventurism in the region and violations of international law”.
Nasrallah’s death marks a major blow not only to Hezbollah but also to its alleged backers in Iran. He was a leading figure in the Tehran-backed “Axis of Resistance”, helping to project Iranian influence across the Middle East.
Lebanese health authorities confirmed six dead and 91 wounded in the initial attack on Friday — the fourth on Beirut’s Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs in a week and the heaviest since a 2006 war.
More than 700 people were killed in strikes over the past week, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Israel’s five hours of continuous strikes on Beirut early on Saturday followed Friday’s attack, by far the most powerful by Israel on the city during the conflict with Hezbollah that has played out in parallel to the Gaza conflict for nearly a year.
