Alsharq Tribune- Mohamed Otaify
This follows the Israeli parliament's passing of a law last week that bans the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA supports Palestinian refugees with humanitarian aid in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. On 28 October, the Israeli parliament, aka Knesset, approved bills to ban the body from operating in the conflict-ridden area. During a briefing session on the Palestinian issue, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat (parliament) that the draft is being negotiated and will be tabled at the UNGA for approval. This could provide a legal basis for UNRWA to continue delivering essential services — including education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid — that benefit over six million Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank. Malaysia has joined a Core Group drafting a UN resolution to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel's obligation to permit UN agencies, international organizations, and third-party countries to operate in the occupied Palestinian territory, with the consent of the Palestinian government, for the benefit of the Palestinian public." "UNRWA has been the main lifeline for channelling international aid to the people of Palestine for 75 years. Malaysia fully supports UNRWA's critical role, and cooperation with the agency will continue to be strengthened," he added. Anwar also said he had received an invitation from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to participate in the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit on 11 November, which will address the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that Malaysia’s ongoing humanitarian missions for the people of Palestine would require the country to rely on Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to facilitate aid delivery to the region. “I will discuss this with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on 10 November to express our gratitude, as Egypt had provided a special route for Malaysian humanitarian aid to Rafah, though Israel now blocks it,” he said. Malaysia plans to raise other issues, including the invasion and destruction of worship centres in the occupied Palestinian territories, open attacks on territories in Lebanon and Iran, and the assassination of Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, Anwar noted.
