Malaysia slams Israel for airstrike on displaced Palestinians in Rafah

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysia on Monday condemned Israel’s airstrike on tents housing displaced people in Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip, calling it "relentless, merciless and deliberate genocidal actions."

At least 45 people, mostly women and children, were killed and nearly 250 others injured in an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced people in Rafah on Sunday.

"The Israeli regime's relentless, merciless and deliberate genocidal actions against the Palestinian people violate the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 24 May 2024, which demanded an immediate end to Israel's military offensive in Rafah," Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The continued defiance of Israel showcases its blatant disrespect for the world's highest judicial body and the principles it upholds," it pointed out.

It said international inaction on these atrocities will exacerbate Gaza's humanitarian crisis while undermining global justice and international laws.

Malaysia urged "the international community, including State Parties to the Genocide Convention, to take necessary measures to give effect to the ICJ's ruling, abolish impunity and continue working towards achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.

"Only through a committed effort towards a comprehensive peace agreement can we hope to end this cycle of violence and build a future where Palestinians can live with dignity, respect and security."

Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which killed around 1,200 people.

The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

The attack comes despite a ruling by the ICJ that ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.