KARACHI, Pakistan / ISTANBUL

Thousands of Pakistanis took to the streets on Friday, marching across the country to protest the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that killed over 700 Palestinians, including children and women.

The protest call was given by the country's main religiopolitical party, Jamaat-e-Islami.

In Islamabad, the capital, the main rally took place near the Parliament House, while in Karachi, the country's commercial capital, thousands marched towards the US Consulate to lodge their protest.

Heavy contingents of police were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents.

Similar rallies were held in Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Mardan, and other cities.

The rally in Islamabad was held near Diplomatic Avenue, which houses the US Embassy. In Lahore and Peshawar, the rallies were also held near the US consulates.

The development came after Islamabad “strongly" condemned new Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, urging the international community to end the violence and resume diplomatic efforts for an "immediate" and "lasting" peace in Gaza.

More than 700 Palestinians have been killed and over 900 injured in a surprise aerial campaign by Israel on Gaza since Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.