Pakistan’s star batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, who scored an impressive 131 runs contributing to Pakistan’s historic run chase against Sri Lanka in the ICC World Cup, dedicated his century to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza enduring indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
In a remarkable victory on Tuesday, Pakistan successfully chased down a record target of 345, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in India’s Hyderabad. Rizwan’s unbeaten 131, alongside opener Abdullah Shafique’s 113, paved the way for achieving the challenging target with 10 balls to spare.
“This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Happy to contribute to the win,” Rizwan stated on X, formerly known as Twitter. He credited the entire team for the victory and specifically acknowledged Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for their contributions. Rizwan also expressed gratitude to the Indian fans for their incredible hospitality and support.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, a humanitarian crisis is escalating as a result of Israel’s complete blockade in response to a surprise attack by Hamas. Residents are facing shortages of essential supplies, and the death toll has exceeded 2,000 in the clashes.
Israel’s military conducted airstrikes in Gaza City, targeting over 200 locations that it claimed were used by Hamas for launching attacks, following the imposition of a “complete siege” on the region. This siege has halted the supply of electricity, food, water, and fuel to Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Gaza’s health ministry reported over 900 casualties and 4,600 wounded in the densely populated enclave. The situation further escalated as Hamas militants from Gaza launched an attack in southern Israel, resulting in numerous casualties and hostages being taken to Gaza. Hamas attributed the attack to Israeli violations in East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and increased settler violence.
