Anwar's views on Gaza draw foreign press interest

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Germany has drawn foreign press interest in his views towards the situation in Gaza.

In a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Anwar - as reported by Anadolu Agency (AA) - criticised Western countries for their lack of action against Israel's atrocities in Gaza while condemning Hamas.

Anwar said Western countries should put an end to their "selective" and "ambivalent" attitude.

"What I reject strongly is this narrative, this obsession, as if the entire problem begins and ends with the 7th of October. It did not begin with the 7th October, and did not end with the 7th of October. It began four decades before that, and it is continuing daily," he was quoted as saying in AA.

Anwar reportedly said Israel's decades-long policies against Palestinians and its atrocities were the root cause of the ongoing conflict.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties and destruction, with Israel facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Anwar, as reported by AA, said that Malaysia has contacts with the political wing of Hamas, and the engagement has helped them raise some concerns with the group, including the situation of the hostages.

He also clarified that Malaysia has no relations with the military wing of Hamas.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Anwar defended Malaysia's relations with the political wing of Hamas, stating that he would not apologise for these ties.

"We do not have any connection with any military outfit or wing; I’ve clarified this to many of my European colleagues (and) the United States,” he was quoted as saying. - BERNAMA