KARACHI: Thousands of Pakistani children marched through Karachi on Thursday to condemn Israel’s war in Gaza, demanding an end to what they called an “unbearable” toll on Palestinian children.
The rally, organized by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religious political party, drew school students from across the city to Shara-e-Quaideen. Waving placards and chanting slogans, they voiced solidarity with Gaza, where local health authorities say more than 20,000 minors have been killed since October 7, 2023.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 65,000 people overall have died in the enclave since the war began, with thousands still trapped under rubble. Aid agencies including UNICEF and Save the Children say the toll on children represents one of the gravest humanitarian crises in decades.
“The children of Karachi have come out for Palestine, for the people of Palestine, for the children of Palestine, for their mothers, for their sisters, and for their rights,” said Hazib Uddin, a ninth-grade student. “So much oppression is happening in Palestine that it is unbearable.”
Another student, Mehdiya Iqbal, said she had joined to make her solidarity visible.
