S'pore urgently reiterates call for ceasefire in Gaza, announces 2 new initiatives to help Palestinians

As the foreign ministers of Asean and several partner countries descended on Kuala Lumpur over the past week, Jul. 11 saw several attending nations take part in the 4th Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEPAD).

Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, spoke during CEPAD, expressing Singapore’s grave concern with the “tragedy of the ongoing conflict and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza”.

Singapore's intervention

CEPAD is a regional platform initiated by Japan in 2013 as part of an effort to support Palestinian state building efforts.

It seeks to do so by leveraging the resources, knowledge, and economic development experiences of East Asian nations.

Vivian Balakrishnan said that Singapore "urgently" reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the swift and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA).

Vivian Balakrishnan stressed the need to alleviate the suffering of the civilians in Gaza and a permanent ceasefire, which he said was essential for reconstruction to begin.

He acknowledged that the needs of Gaza in this regard would be “massive”, said the role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) would be central, and Singapore would “do what we can to help".

Singapore, he said, remained committed to supporting the PA’s capacity-building and human capital development.

Vivian Balakrishnan noted that Singapore had been a part of CEPAD since its inception in 2013.

Enhanced package

At that conference, Singapore announced the establishment of the S$5 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP), which was doubled to S$10 million in 2016.

800 Palestinian officials had thus far benefited from ETAP, which funded “customised training courses” and study visits to relevant areas such as public administration, digitalisation, and public health.

It had also funded postgraduate scholarships for Palestinian officials, and Singapore intended to include undergraduate scholarships for Palestinian students to study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics-related topics in Singaporean universities.

More support for Palestine

Vivian Balakrishnan announced two more avenues of cooperation for Palestine.

First, Singapore will collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to run a training programme on community policing for the Palestinian Civil Police Force.

Second, Singapore will organise a Young Leaders’ Programme for emerging Palestinian leaders to share our experience in governance and public administration.

"We look forward to doing more in support of the Palestinian Authority," Balakrishnan said.

Such assistance would hopefully strengthen the PA and "help prepare the Palestinian people for a state of their own”.

Singapore, he reiterated, had consistently supported a two-state solution, consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, which Singapore believed was still “the only viable pathway towards a durable, just, and comprehensive solution”.

Only through it could both Palestinians and Israelis live "alongside each other in peace, dignity, and security”.

Impunity

The session comes as Malaysia chairs Asean, and its foreign minister, Mohamad Hasan, accused Israel of “openly committing genocide” by its actions in Gaza.

Israel has been undertaking military action in Gaza for nearly two years in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas, which is in de facto control of the territory.

The attacks saw the death of over 1,200 civilians, and the kidnapping of over 200 more, several of whom remain in Hamas control in Gaza.

However, a majority have either been released or had their remains repatriated.

Israel’s retaliation has seen Gaza endure significant destruction and its population displaced, with tens of thousands estimated to have been killed.

In recent months, Israel has severely limited the amount and distribution of much-needed humanitarian aid.

While the United States and Israel have justified their actions, other countries, including several in Southeast Asia, have stated that Israel’s actions have gone too far.

Hasan’s rebuke was one such example, given in his opening remarks at the Jul. 11 East Asia Summit.

In his statement, he also accused Israel of acting with impunity.

Inalienable rights

Although the foreign minister of the Asean chair, his comments do not necessarily reflect Asean’s overall position, which was laid out in a joint communique on Jul. 9.

In the communique, Asean reaffirmed its support for the “inalienable rights of the Palestinian people”, including self-determination and a homeland.

It urged both parties to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but also said that it the United Nations should work to “bring to an end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of the state of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, as well as reaffirming the importance of upholding international law.

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Top image via MFA.