Pakistan and Saudi Arabia call for a cease-fire in Gaza, saying efforts so far are insufficient

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have called for an immediate cease-fire and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on a visit to Islamabad, said Tuesday that international efforts toward a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas have been “wholly insufficient.” Without mentioning an Iranian attack on Israel over the weekend, he said “we are already in an unstable region, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is already inflaming the region.” Pakistan’s foreign minister described the killings in Gaza as “genocide” and said that the “world’s conscience must wake up.” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for closer cooperation with Saudi Arabia to help his cash-strapped nation with investment.