Daily Times

Pakistan Monday expressed severe anger over an Israeli minister’s statement that his nation was considering dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, the strip where the Israeli forces and Hamas have been engaged in over a month-long battle.

“We are appalled by statement of an Israeli minister threatening nuclear force against Palestinians,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said on Sunday that dropping a “nuclear bomb” on the Gaza Strip is “an option,” according to local Anadolu Agency. The Foreign Office mentioned that the statement reflects an intention for ethnic cleansing and genocide.

“This is a wake up call for int’l community to the threat posed by Israeli aggression to regional peace, security & stability,” the foreign ministry added.

Eliyahu, a minister from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, said: “One of Israel’s options in the war in Gaza is to drop a nuclear bomb on the Strip.”

The minister also voiced his objection to allowing any humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“We wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid,” the minister said, adding: “There is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”

“Anyone waving a Palestinian or Hamas flag shouldn’t continue living on the face of the earth.”

Following his remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended the junior member from the cabinet.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying that the minister concerned – Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, from a far-right party in the coalition government – had been suspended from cabinet meetings “until further notice”.

Israel has intensified its ground operation and bombardment on the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian Group Hamas’ October 7 attacks, which caught Netanyahu Benjamin’s administration by surprise.

Israel – by targeting schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, and even refugee camps where terrified civilians have taken shelter – has so far killed 9,922, people, including 4,800 children.

Israel has accused Hamas of hiding among civilians and has been using this explanation as an excuse when it faces criticism for targeting besieged civilians.

Hamas killed more than 1,400 Israelis in the Oct 7 attack and a few hundred soldiers in the clashes that followed during the nearly month-long war now.

Honduras, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Jordan, and Bahrain have called back their envoys from Israel, and some have also cut their diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, whose forces have besieged Gaza for 17 years.

Global powers, including the United States and the United Nations, have called on Israel to ensure that civilian casualties are avoided in its relentless pursuit to eliminate Hamas, but to no avail.