By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Palestinian resistance group Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar.
Anwar said he met a Hamas delegation on Monday in “line with Malaysia's stance and commitment to continue to play a role in stopping attacks and violence in Gaza and Rafah” cities of Palestine.
Among others, Palestinian resistance leader Khaled Mashal was part of the delegation.
"Malaysia will continue to commit to play its role at the international level to stop attacks on Rafah, while mobilizing more agile efforts to help the victims of the Gaza war, especially in the aspects of humanitarian aid, medicine and education," Anwar said on X.
Anwar said Malaysia "appreciates the willingness of Hamas to release prisoners, especially children and women, and to accept the peace plan of the Arab world, the OIC, and the international community."
"At the same time, Malaysia urges Israel to stop the massacre of Palestinians, release all Palestinian prisoners and agree to a peace plan," he added.
Anwar is on a three-day official trip to Qatar.
The Malaysian premier has earlier held phone conversations with Haniyeh after Israel waged an unrelenting offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.
The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip has surged to 35,173, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday.
Malaysia has donated over $4.2 million in aid to Palestinians since October last year. This is in addition to Malaysia's annual commitment of $200,000 to the UN Refugee Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) from 2021 through next year.
During a speech at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, Anwar touched on challenges and tribulations in the “post-normal era that demand the leaders of the Muslim world to mobilize their strength to face the issues of Islamophobia, discrimination and hypocrisy of the world's major powers.”
“Muslims must remain sane and return to the root of strength that is supported by the culture of knowledge, morals, mercy, humanity and piety that underlies the teachings of Islam,” he said.