KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia was not invited to the Gaza peace summit in Egypt due to its conditional support to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said countries that attended the summit were those that had given their full support to the plan.
“Malaysia was not included because we expressed support but with reservations.
“It was conditional with regard to a comprehensive resolution for the return of Palestinians who were forcibly removed.
“This included matters such as the rights related to a Palestinian statehood,” he said, adding that continued violence in the West Bank should be resolved.
Trump and leaders from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye gathered on Monday for a summit in Egypt to sign a deal to bring peace to Gaza.
Anwar acknowledged that there were those who questioned Malaysia’s support for the plan.
He said the main priority for supporting the plan initiated by Trump was an immediate cessation to the killing of Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza.
Anwar noted that the plan was also accepted by several Middle East and Muslim nations.
He informed the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that he had received a letter from Hamas on Oct 7 supporting Trump’s peace plan initiative.
For now, he said Malaysia supported the plan as it would bring about an immediate end to the war and the return of Palestinians to Gaza.
Anwar said that Malaysia was ready to assist in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations if requested.
On the rebuilding of Gaza, he said there was a Japan-initiated Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development which Malaysia is part of.
He added that Brazil and South Africa had indicated their willingness to sign on to help in the rebuilding of Gaza once the situation permitted.
He also said that he would be in touch with Egyptians authorities to allow humanitarian aid and medical help to get into Gaza via the Rafah crossing.
“We will see if we could send aid and medical specialists through Rafah.
“Instead of bringing the Palestinians here, it is better that we go there,” he said.
Anwar said he was informed that only 167 humanitarian aid trucks manage to enter Gaza on Monday although 600 were allowed daily.
