By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - Malaysia on Thursday welcomed the new deal between Israel and Hamas for a four-day humanitarian pause in fighting in the Gaza Strip, calling it a “step in the right direction.”
Hailing the role played by Qatar, Egypt and the US in reaching the deal between Palestinian group Hamas and Israel, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said the step would “bring to an end the killing of civilians and minimize the suffering of the people in Gaza.”
It, however, called on “concerned parties to intensify efforts for a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
Under the humanitarian pause, Hamas is expected to release 50 captives held in Gaza, mainly women and children, in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails.
“Malaysia stands ready to actively contribute towards all initiatives aimed at fostering a just and lasting peace in the region,” said the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, stressing a two-state solution on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as capital of an independent state of Palestine.
Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The number of people killed in Israeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since then has risen to 14,532, including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women, the media office in the besieged enclave said Wednesday.
The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.