“If the Islamic world allows, [we] want to fight alongside Palestinians,” he said at the Mufti Mehmood conference in Peshawar on Saturday.

Israel pummelled northern Gaza with fresh air strikes on Saturday, one week on from the deadliest attack in its history, as it urged Palestinians to flee the area before an expected ground offensive against Hamas commanders.

According to Fazl, Pakistan was an Islamic state constitutionally but practically the country was a secular state. “We are convinced of the struggle within the framework of the Constitution and law,” the JUI-F chief said.

“Israel is breaking the limits of atrocities,” Fazl said.