People's Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament (MP) Wan Rizal and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim have both filed parliamentary questions (PQ) for the next parliamentary sitting regarding the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza.

In a Facebook post on Oct. 19, Zhulkarnain shared that he filed a PQ on the "humanitarian crisis faced by civilians and the assistance packages currently rendered by Singapore to support the Palestinian Authority's capacity building".

Wan Rizal also shared on Facebook that he filed two PQs, one on humanitarian aid in Gaza and another on "nurturing a balanced discourse on actions and accountability under United Nations (UN) conventions".

Zhulkarnain's PQ

Zhulkarnain, the MP for Choa Chu Kang GRC, detailed in his post that he shared "concerns as a fellow human being about the plight of innocent civilians impacted by this conflict" and that he "consistently raised issues impacting civilians in Israel and the Palestinian Territories".

He then cited numerous times where he brought up this issue in Parliament.

"This is an issue, although complex and emotive, sits close to my heart and that this issue has been and will continue to be addressed consistently; and not just because of contemporaneous events which has taken a lot of mindshare recently," he added.

"I will continue to raise issues to guard against the adverse impact on innocent civilians and explore what ways Singapore can do to further support this and International Law."

The question Zhulkarnain filed for the next parliamentary sitting is to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs:

• "What are the plans of the government to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis faced by civilians in Gaza impacted by the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza in the Palestinian Territories
• How does the conflict impact Singapore's Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP) currently rendered to support the Palestinian Authority through capacity building of Palestinian officials and scholarships for Palestinian postgraduate students?"

He also called for contributions to the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF), in collaboration with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East (UNRWA), who are organising a fundraising appeal to provide aid in health, relief and shelter for communities affected in Gaza.

Wan Rizal's PQs

Wan Rizal, the MP for Jalan Besar GRC, shared that he filed two PQs for the next parliamentary sitting.

One of his questions was to "understand international laws" and was "rooted in nurturing a balanced discourse on actions and accountability under UN conventions".

"To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the recent conflict escalation in the region of Gaza and referencing the applicable UN conventions:

• What is the Government's position regarding the recognition and classification of actions as war crimes
• How does our nation's stance align with international standards and frameworks in ensuring accountability and justice, whilst maintaining a balanced and impartial approach towards all parties involved in the conflict."

In addition, Wan Rizal filed a question on the humanitarian aid in Gaza.

"To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the recent conflict escalation in the region of Gaza and the reported challenges in delivering humanitarian aid to the affected civilian population:

• what measures are being considered or understand by the Government to contribute towards humanitarian assistance in the region, ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need
• how is the Government coordinating with international and regional entities to address the humanitarian concerns arising from the situation effectively."

Wan Rizal called for support for humanitarian efforts like the RLAF to"alleviate suffering".

"Let's continue to foster a spirit of compassion and hope as we aspire for a peaceful world where the sanctity of every life is honoured," he concluded.

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Top photos via Wan Rizal/Facebook & Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim/Facebook