Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that Hamas had the right to defend themselves against Israel, and the Southeast Asian nation wouldn’t sever ties with Palestine because of US pressure.
US efforts to restrict external parties from supporting Palestine are unilateral and Malaysia will not recognize it, Anwar told Parliament on Tuesday.
Malaysian leaders over the years have held regular communications with leaders of Hamas.
He called the military action in Gaza the “height of barbarism” at a rally last month, and on Tuesday he told parliament that Malaysia will continue to back Hamas despite the threat of U.S. sanctions.
“Palestine is colonized through apartheid, ethnic cleansing and now genocide,” Anwar told lawmakers. “Whatever happened is the legitimate right and struggle of the Palestinian people.”
“All parties and members of the public should show solidarity in the issue of Palestine, rather than using it for politics,” he added.
Meanwhile, the health ministry of Palestine reported that more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including over 4,000 children.
Overall, more than two-thirds of Palestinians killed in Gaza since 7 October are children, women and elderly.
The number of Palestinian children killed in Gaza in one month far exceeds the annual number of children killed in conflict zones around the world since 2019.
