IN a rare show of solidarity, Umno echoed former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s call for the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“I agree with Mahathir’s view that a long-lasting diplomatic solution is needed to deescalate the situation in the Middle East.
“I urge our prime minister, in cooperation with other Muslim nations, to convene an emergency meeting of OIC to deal with the crisis,” said its deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan in a Facebook post.
Yesterday, Mahathir said that a solution can be found for the Arab-Israeli conflict through joint action by Muslim countries, and those who support the rights of the Palestinians and their struggle.
The nonagenarian added that it is important for those who support Palestinians to have a proper strategy to achieve that solution, he said in a live public address on his Facebook account last night.
“Fighting for the sake of fighting or for the sake of taking revenge is not going to gain anything,” New Straits Times reported the Langkawi MP as saying.
The Israel-Palestine conflict escalated after the Zionist nation stormed the al-Aqsa mosque and attacked worshippers during Ramadan.
Humanitarian crisis worsening
Both sides then started firing rockets and launched air strikes on each other, with nearly 200 people dead and many others injured.
Yesterday, Israel bombed a 12-storey Gaza tower block housing the offices of the US-based Associated Press AP and Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera. The building collapsed soon after.
Reuters reported that the owner of the building had been warned in advance of an impending Israeli missile strike, and the building had been evacuated.
Touching on the matter, Mohamad Hasan said that Malaysia will always support the Palestinian struggle and urged the Government to enhance its humanitarian efforts to help Palestinians, using concrete diplomatic channels.
The Rantau lawmaker added that the military conflict triggered a massive humanitarian crisis, with Palestinians having little access to food and medical supplies due to border closure to Gaza.
“Their hospitals are already operating under minimum capacity, especially with the rising COVID-19 infection cases.
“Let us do what we can and channel whatever we have to the multiple non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are supporting Palestine,” Mohamad Hasan remarked. – May 16, 2021
