THE Malaysian government has expressed its support for the Gaza peace talk, mediated by the United States (US) with Qatar and Egypt.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the Cabinet had discussed the matter and agreed to endorse the US peace plan as a measure to halt the continuous atrocities and colonisation of Palestinian territory by Israel.
The backdrop to this support is Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza since Oct 7 last year, despite demands for a ceasefire from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 36,500 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
Many are still unfamiliar with the plan proposed by US President Joe Biden. Here is what we know about it so far:
What is the Gaza peace plan about?
Last week, Biden announced a proposal that he claimed would lead to a "lasting" ceasefire in Gaza and said that Israel had suggested a comprehensive new proposal to end the war.
On Monday (June 3), a draft resolution to the UNSC urging members to back a three-phase Gaza ceasefire plan was circulated.
What does the plan propose?
The plan is divided into three stages:
First Phase: This outlines the withdrawal of Israel's military from populated areas of Gaza during a six-week ceasefire.
Second Phase: Hamas and Israel would negotiate terms for a permanent end to hostilities.
Third Phase: This would include a permanent ceasefire, allowing for the reconstruction of Gaza and an ultimate end to the devastating war, which has seen more than 36,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli actions.
Has the plan worked?
Following the plan announced by Biden, the stance of Israel's leadership was not clear. This was as Israel's two far-right members, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, outrightly rejected the proposal, with both of them threatening to bring down the government.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly described Biden's proposal as incomplete, adding that there were gaps between the Israeli offer and the US narrative.
Netanyahu also said that Israel would not end the war until it achieved its war objectives which included destroying Hamas' military and governance capability.
Following this, the US, Egypt and Qatar have been seeking to mediate an end to the war for months via a peace talk.
It was also reported that officials from the US, Egypt and Qatar were expected to meet in the Qatari capital today (Wednesday) to discuss ways to resume ceasefire negotiations.
Previously, Egypt hosted the last round of negotiations over two days without an announced agreement.
