Pakistan's president urges international community to ease tension between Israel, Palestine

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi urged the international community Saturday “to play its active role” to ease the tension between Israel and Palestine.

“I am deeply disturbed over the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel,” Alvi wrote on X.

“There should be maximum restraint to prevent further bloodshed and loss of human lives,” he wrote. “The situation calls for an immediate ceasefire as the hostility and confrontation between Palestine and Israel will further increase the sufferings of the people.”

Alvi urged the international community to work “to prevent both sides from further escalating the conflict and work for a long overdue peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and international law.”

His remarks came after Hamas launched Operation Al Aqsa Flood, saying the surprise attack Saturday was in response to the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence. It said it fired rockets and captured many Israelis.

In turn, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said we are "at war."

He urged Palestinian civilians in the enclave to leave as the Israeli military is going to turn "all Hamas hiding places into rubble."

At least 232 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks, according to medical sources in Gaza, while the Israeli death toll climbed to 300.