The political turmoil in the Middle East has been exacerbating since October 7, 2023. Israel has been consistent in committing war crimes against Palestinians. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and most of these were innocent civilians comprising women and children. On April 1st, 2024, the spectrum of the conflict was widened as Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria. Pakistan has issued a clear and forceful statement highlighting the escalatory steps by Israel as unacceptable. Moreover, Pakistan has squarely blamed escalation to where it rightfully belongs. The horrors committed by Israel have been consistent despite condemnation from the entire world. On 2 April 2024, Pakistan strongly condemned the Israeli attack on the Iranian Consular Section in Damascus, Syria. It termed the attack as unacceptable and irresponsible. Pakistan offered its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the Government of Iran. The attack jeopardized Syria’s stability, and security and violated its sovereignty. It was also against the UN Charter and international law. The 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations specifically forbids attacks on diplomats or diplomatic properties. An already unstable region saw a significant escalation as a result of the Israeli forces’ reckless action. Pakistan requested the UN Security Council to halt Israel’s illegal attacks on its neighbours, international diplomatic installations, and its military adventurism in the region. Pakistan’s military capabilities are the sole reason that Israel does not dare to have any direct confrontation with Pakistan. On April 14, 2024, Pakistan gave another statement and underlined the grave implications of the inability of the UN Security Council to fulfil its responsibilities. In what might be a major escalation in the Middle East, Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday, marking its first-ever direct attack on Israeli soil. After Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, Pakistan’s foreign ministry expressed grave worry over the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East and urged all sides to adopt “utmost restraint” and strive toward de-escalation. As a country in the region, Pakistan wants a peaceful neighbourhood. It is in its interest to contain the hostilities that have the potential to engulf the entire region. It has, therefore, called for de-escalation and pragmatic settlement of conflict. Entering its seventh month, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has raised serious tensions in the region, escalating to fronts with Syria and Lebanon and attracting long-range fire from as far away as Yemen and Iraq toward Israeli targets. Islamabad has continuously called for an independent Palestinian state, with Al Quds Al Sharif serving as its capital, as per the wishes of Palestinians. Pakistan continues to have a very clear and lucid stance towards the Gaza situation and would like to ensure that the genocide in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation remains the focus of the international community. Notable is the fact that Pakistan is an ideological country that has not recognized Israel as a state. It is evident that Israel wants to militarily engage with Pakistan as it did with Iran because of its Zionist agendas. Due to the military capabilities that Pakistan possesses, Israel cannot afford a direct confrontation with Pakistan and therefore, has chosen India as its strategic partner. Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have nearly identical political strategies: unchecked ethnic cleansing to win over and maintain support from their right-wing domestic constituencies. The military collaboration between Tel Aviv and New Delhi has greatly strengthened as a result of this confluence of fascist ideologies of Hindutva and Zionism. Israel and India collaborate in the strategic organization I2U2, which is modelled after the “Quad” of the Indo-Pacific region. India may now get vital Israeli military technologies without interruption because of its membership in the alliance. Forty-two percent of Israel’s arms exports go to India. Cooperation on defense technology has also been undertaken by both parties. India’s operational and surveillance capacities have improved as a result of this cooperation, especially in the Kashmir Valley. Additionally, I2U2 helps India achieve its aspirational goal of becoming the Indian Ocean Region’s “Net Security Provider.” It is evident that something bigger is brewing between Israel and India, as India is being provided with niche military capabilities. A strong military apparatus of Pakistan is the need, not only for the country itself, rather to maintain the balance of power in the region. Moreover, the only language that India understands is the language of strong military deterrence and its manifestation was seen when India tried to invade Pakistan airspace on the fake mantra of “surgical strike”. Few inimical elements, riding on the bandwagon of social media, tend to spread hysteria against the state of Pakistan and its institution. These elements usually cash in on foreign agendas having a sole interest to tarnish the image of Pakistan. “Social media” handlers motivated by vested political interests need to stop their heinous propaganda and think of Pakistan rather than playing in the hands of the enemy. Israel continues to commit heinous war crimes against Palestinians, because they lack in military deterrence. Pakistan’s military capabilities are the sole reason that Israel does not dare to have any direct confrontation with Pakistan. It is the responsibility of the people of Pakistan to stand forth with the state of Pakistan and its institutions so that no external or internal threat dares to weaken the strong bond that which people of Pakistan and its army share. The writer is a freelance journalist.