Send Aid to Gaza.

The long agony of the occupied Palestinian people especially now in Gaza is unfortunately most likely to be magnified multifold when the imminent Israeli land and sea assault on Gaza City unfolds, adding to the sustained air bombing which has already taken a heavy toll. What is to be done and how can Pakistan help? The immediate objective is to try to staunch the bleeding, by calling for a cease-fire. (Perhaps the return of hostages and exchange of prisoners can be part of such an understanding). Acceptance by Israel of a Palestinian state remains the key to a long-term solution.

These are likely to be the main objectives of the forthcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), called for by its current Chair, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah on Wednesday 18th October. The urgent open-ended extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee at the ministerial level has been convened to address the escalating military situation in Gaza and its environs as well as the deteriorating conditions that endanger the lives of civilians and the overall security and stability of the region, the OIC said in a statement on its website.

In the meantime, it is incumbent on countries and people supportive, or sympathetic, to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza to send them the assistance required, according to their capabilities, apart from support from the political and international level.

In this respect, the primary challenge facing sending humanitarian assistance, including for UN agencies, is gaining access to Gaza. In the last such crisis in 2014, a limited humanitarian corridor was eventually permitted to the UN from Jordan. But now Israel has blocked the main inland entry points and has even threatened any flow through the Rafah/Egypt crossing point with shelling. Shelling three days ago has led to a closure of this sole entry and exit point, marooning on the Gaza side those few foreign nationals who have permits to cross into Egypt. Egypt has taken the stand that it will only open this border point for outflows if Israel permits entry of relief assistance thus pressuring the mainly Western countries whose nationals are trying to leave Gaza, to support this proposal. On their part, Western countries, to try to assuage criticism, by Muslim countries and their sizable Muslim minorities, of their all-out support for Israel, and for humanitarian reasons, are calling for safe zones in Gaza, and pledging relief supplies...