Malaysia said it is deeply concerned over the loss of so many lives due to the latest escalation of clashes in and around the Gaza Strip. ‘At this critical time, further loss of life, suffering and destruction should stop and parties must exercise utmost restraint and de-escalate,’ said a press release issued by the Malaysian foreign ministry. The root cause must be acknowledged. The Palestinians have been subjected to the prolonged illegal occupation, blockade and sufferings, the desecration of Al-Aqsa, as well as the politics of dispossession at the hands of Israel as the occupier, said the release. The inconsistency to act on the Israeli regime calls into question the uniform enforcement of international principles and highlights the need for a more consistent stance in addressing an apartheid administration, it stressed. ‘There should be no disproportionate treatment and flagrant hypocrisy in dealing with any regime that practices apartheid and blatantly violates human rights and international law.’ Palestinians have the legal right to live in a state of peace within its own internationally recognized borders, based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as their inalienable right to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced, added the release. ‘The United Nations Security Council must live up to its Charter-mandated responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Council should urgently convene an Emergency Session to demand all parties stop the violence as well as respect and protect the lives of innocent civilians,’ the ministry concluded.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA