Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman (left) with Palestinian Authority PM Mohammed Mustafa on the sidelines of a ministerial conference on Dec 2. - MALIKI OSMAN/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE: Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman said Singapore will offer more scholarships for Palestinian students to the Republic, as he called for additional action to address the dire conditions in Gaza.
Dr Maliki was in Egypt representing Singapore at a conference in Cairo co-hosted by Egypt and the UN on Monday (Dec 2) to address humanitarian conditions in Gaza, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) first said on Dec 1.
More than 44,000 people have been killed in retaliatory military operations carried out by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s response followed the Oct 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people, with more than 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
During talks with Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa on the sidelines of the conference, Dr Maliki said Singapore will increase its number of annual scholarships from three to 10, including five each for undergraduate and postgraduate Palestinian students to study in Singapore.
He also reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian Authority in preparing for eventual statehood.
Singapore has sent five tranches of humanitarian aid to Gaza since the start of the war, amounting to more than US$13 million (S$17.5 million) in cash and donations.
Dr Maliki reiterated at the conference Singapore’s call for uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, an immediate ceasefire by Israeli forces, as well as the release of all remaining hostages under Hamas.
In a speech, he reiterated Singapore’s position that a negotiated two-state solution consistent with UN resolutions is the only viable path for achieving a fair and sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Most of the displaced Palestinian population in the Gaza enclave have been teetering on the edge of famine for more than a year, and remain in dire need of essentials such as food, water and medicine.
Aid deliveries to Gaza have been disrupted by more instances of aid trucks getting looted by armed gangs, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The UNRWA has accused Israel of failing to ensure aid workers can safely deliver supplies.
Hamas has called for an end to the war and total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal to release the remaining hostages.
Dr Maliki also met Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty during his trip and reaffirmed the Arab country’s longstanding relations with Singapore.
According to the MFA, Singapore is the fifth-largest Asian investor in Egypt, with around US$700 million invested, while the Republic has trained around 700 Egyptian civilian officials over the years through various technical assistance programmes.
Dr Maliki welcomed Egypt’s collaboration on the Singapore College of Islamic Studies, set to open in 2028, while expressing appreciation for the country’s continued support of Singapore’s students in the Al Azhar University in Cairo.
Singapore’s Ambassador to Egypt Dominic Goh said there are more than 150 students from Singapore studying in Al Azhar University.
During his working visit ending on Dec 3, Dr Maliki also had separate meetings with Foreign Ministry counterparts from Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon and Bahrain.
He is also expected to meet Singaporean students in Cairo. - The Straits Times/ANN
