Saudi Arabia, Pakistan ink defense pact

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Wednesday signed a new strategic defense pact that regards any attack on either nation as aggression on both. It was the first firm defense decision made by an Arab country since Israel's attack in Qatar last week that sparked concerns across Gulf states that have long depended on the United States for their security.

The deal, signed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Riyadh, "aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression", read a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

"Any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both," it added.

"This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalization of long-standing and deep cooperation between our two countries," a senior Saudi official told Reuters when asked about its timing.

Media reports said the timing appeared to be a signal to Israel which attempted to kill Hamas leaders with airstrikes on Sept 9 in Doha, infuriating Arab countries.

Asked whether Pakistan would be obliged to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella under the pact, the Saudi official said: "This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means."

A statement from Sharif's office said, "This agreement reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries, and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression."

Meanwhile, Israel pressed its US-backed ground offensive in Gaza City with local authorities saying on Wednesday that more than 65,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

The offensive has sparked outrage among the international community, with the Palestinian territory already devastated by nearly two years of conflict and the Gaza City area gripped by a United Nations-declared famine.

A huge number of Palestinians were fleeing Gaza City by any means as the Israeli army on Wednesday ordered people to leave Gaza City within the next 48 hours and move south along a temporary passageway.

Dire conditions

However, many are reluctant to follow Israel's orders because of dangers along the way, dire conditions, lack of food in the southern area and fear of permanent displacement.

"Even if we want to leave Gaza City, is there any guarantee we would be able to come back? Will the war ever end? That's why I prefer to die here, in Sabra, my neighborhood," said a schoolteacher who only gave his name as Ahmed by phone.

The latest Israeli operation also pushed any ceasefire farther out of reach. The Israeli forces, which vowed to "destroy Hamas' military infrastructure", have not given a timeline for the offensive, but indicated it could take months.

Israeli political scientist Menachem Klein told Al Jazeera that Israel's actions in Gaza showed that its priority is not recovering Israeli captives held by Hamas, but to render the territory "unlivable".

Having devastated Gaza, said the senior lecturer at Bar-Ilan University, Israel's aim is to "move the population to a concentration zone" and then "push them outside".

Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday described the destruction of Gaza as a "demolition phase" and part of an 'urban renewal plan', saying there's a "business plan" to turn Gaza into a "real estate bonanza "and he was discussing with the Trump administration how to share the proceeds.

US Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday described Israel's assault on Gaza as a genocide, renewing his call for ending Washington's "complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people".

Agencies contributed to this story.