THE MALAYSIAN government has issued a strong condemnation of a reported Israeli airstrike on a humanitarian operation to give out supplies arranged by Wisma Putra in collaboration with Malaysian NGOS at the Al Nuseirat camp in Gaza.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced the action taken on the aid effort last Wednesday as an irresponsible airstrike carried out by the Israeli regime on the refugee camp in the area within Palestine.
It vehemently condemned the “senseless attack” which claimed the lives of eight Palestinians and injured more than 20 others who were camp personnel preparing to distribute much-needed food supplies contributed by Malaysians through the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of Palestine (AAKRP) and managed by Ops Ihsan.
“This reprehensible act of aggression against innocent civilians underscores the flagrant disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law by the Israeli authorities,” the ministry said in a statement late last night.
“Such indiscriminate and disproportionate violence against the Palestinian populace constitutes a grave violation of their fundamental rights to life, security, and dignity.”
It stressed that those present at the camp were innocent Palestinians who were not a threat to the occupiers, but merely carrying out their humanitarian responsibilities towards fellow Palestinians.
“We urgently implore the international community to intervene promptly and decisively, holding the regime accountable for their blatant disregard for human lives and ensuring the safety of the Palestinian people.
“It is imperative that justice is served, and measures are taken to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities,” the ministry added.
“Solidarity and support must be extended to the Palestinian community in their quest for justice, peace, and the realisation of their inherent rights.”
It emphasised Malaysia’s stance in remaining steadfast on its principled position that the Palestinians unequivocally deserve the realisation of their own independent and sovereign state, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital.
Ops Ihsan was launched during the tenure of former foreign minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir (now higher education minister) as a collaborative effort between the Wisma Putra and several NGOs.
It is focussed on providing rapid and efficient mobilisation of humanitarian aid in response to urgent needs.
According to information on its website, the initiative emerged from a joint idea to achieve partnership between governmental and non-governmental entities to provide collective action during a crisis.
It says that Ops Ihsan acted with extraordinary speed, demonstrating its agility and responsiveness to the needs of the people of Gaza.
It coordinated the collection of essential humanitarian aid items in less than 48 hours, on October 21 and 22 last year.
The main organisations acting as coordinators are the Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief (Mahar), Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia, Red A Humanitarian Development Global, Mercy Malaysia, Pertubuhan Ihsan Johor, BeVital, and the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim).
This initiative has received additional support from fifty other NGOs. – The Vibes, March 16, 2024
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