Pakistan endorses Trump’s Gaza pact days after Israeli drone strikes its ship in Yemen

Pakistan has formally backed the 20-point Gaza pact brokered by US President Donald Trump and supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as several Muslim-majority countries, a high-profile move that comes just days after an Israeli drone strike targeted a Pakistan's LPG tanker near Yemen.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the attack occurred on September 17, 2025, at the Ras Isa port in Yemen. The tanker, carrying 27 crew members including 24 Pakistani nationals, caught fire after being hit by the drone.

The explosion was contained by the crew, and all aboard were later rescued safely after a brief period of detention by Houthi militia forces. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday confirmed that the crew, including the Pakistani captain, had been released and had left Yemeni waters.

A Foreign Office spokesperson stated on Saturday that relevant embassies acted immediately to ensure the safety of the crew, though the tanker’s exact presence in Yemen's waters for ten days following the attack remains unclear.

The strike was part of Israel’s wider offensive in the Middle East, which has previously targeted Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Qatar. While the incident did not provoke a major international diplomatic outcry, it highlighted Israel’s capacity to project power even as Pakistan positioned itself as a defender of Arab states following a historic defence pact with Riyadh.

The timing of Israel’s attack coincided with Islamabad’s new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, under which an assault on either country would be considered an attack on both, a move widely discussed in political and diplomatic circles.

Pakistan, as the region’s only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority state, is now seen by some as a strategic shield for Arab nations against potential Israeli offensives.

The government’s decision to back the Gaza pact  sparked debate at home. Politicians, rights activists criticised the move, calling it a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, since the pact fails to provide a concrete framework to safeguard the Palestinian cause.