(MENAFN) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif finalized a significant mutual defense agreement on Wednesday, strengthening military ties between the two nations. The pact was signed during their meeting in Riyadh, according to a joint statement released by media.

“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving 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,” the statement emphasized.

A key provision of the deal asserts that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” signaling a robust defense partnership.

Prime Minister Sharif arrived in Riyadh early Wednesday for an open-ended visit, marking a deepening of strategic ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation.

The pact comes just days after an Israeli airstrike targeted Qatar’s capital, killing five Hamas members and a Qatari official. This attack disrupted ongoing mediation efforts led by Doha, Egypt, and the United States aimed at brokering an indirect ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.

Israel’s strike on Qatar expanded a widening regional campaign that has included attacks on Iran in June, frequent assaults in Lebanon and Syria, and a devastating, two-year conflict in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Since October 2023, Israel has reportedly killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza, with the majority being women and children. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave, causing unlivable conditions, widespread starvation, and disease outbreaks.

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