
Malaysia condemns Israel's West Bank annexation motion
The ministry highlighted that the motion violates key United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016), which reject any attempts to legitimise Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. 'This decision is another provocation and clear manifestation of the regime's blatant disregard for Palestinian rights to self-determination, return, and resistance against occupation as guaranteed by the UN Charter,' the statement read.
Malaysia accused Israel of acting with impunity due to decades of unchecked aggression in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The ministry urged the international community and the UN to take decisive action against Israel's systematic violations of international law. 'If this motion proceeds, the world will be complicit in one of the gravest war crimes of this century,' the statement warned.
Reaffirming its support for Palestine, Malaysia called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and full UN membership. The Israeli Knesset passed the motion with a 71-13 vote on Wednesday, according to international reports. - Bernama
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The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along the frontier as death toll rises
BANGKOK (Thailand)/SAMROANG (Cambodia): Thailand and Cambodia pounded each other with heavy artillery fire for a third day on Saturday (July 26) as a border conflict that killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 170,000 from their homes spread across the frontier. Clashes broke out for the first time in the countries' coastal regions where they meet on the Gulf of Thailand, around 250km southwest of the main frontlines thumping with blasts on July 26 afternoon. 'It feels like I'm escaping a war zone,' 76-year-old Samlee Sornchai told AFP at a temple shelter for evacuees in the Thai town of Kanthararom, after abandoning his farm near the embattled frontier. Both sides say they are open to a truce in the combat being fought with jets, tanks and ground troops, but have accused the other of undermining armistice efforts. Tensions initially flared over long-contested ancient temple sites, but fighting has spread along the neighbours' rural frontier region, marked by a ridge of forest-clad hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. Both sides reported a coastline clash at around 5am (6am Singapore time), with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing 'five heavy artillery shells' into locations in Pursat province, which borders Thailand's Trat province. Cambodia's Defence Ministry said 13 people were now confirmed killed in the fighting, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. Thai authorities say 13 civilians and seven soldiers have been killed on their side, taking the toll across both nations higher than the 28 killed in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. The fighting has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, with more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After the closed meeting of the Security Council in New York, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire – unconditionally – and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' he told reporters. Border row Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on July 26 that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show 'genuine sincerity in ending the conflict'. 'I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty and to return to resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue,' he told reporters. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said on July 25, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. 'We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that. But so far we have not had any response,' Nikorndej told AFP. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the Asean regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned that if the situation escalates, 'it could develop into war'. Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions. At the UN, Cambodia's envoy questioned Thailand's assertion that his country, which is smaller and less militarily developed than its neighbour, had initiated the conflict. '(The Security Council) called for both parties to (show) maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. That is what we are calling for as well,' said Chhea Keo. Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra – still an influential figure in the kingdom – visited shelters on July 26 to meet evacuees. 'The military needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place,' he told reporters. The 76-year-old said he had no plans to contact Hun Sen, Cambodia's powerful former prime minister who was long a close ally. 'His actions reflect a disturbed mindset. He should reflect on his conduct,' Thaksin said of Mr Hun Sen. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours – both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists – over their shared 800km border. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for more than a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash. Relations between the two countries soured dramatically when Hun Sen in June released a recording of a call with suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra focused on the border row. The leak triggered a political crisis in Thailand as Paetongtarn – Thaksin's daughter – was accused of not standing up for Thailand enough, and of criticising her own army. She was suspended from office by a court order. -- AFP, BLOOMBERG

Barnama
3 hours ago
- Barnama
UK, Jordan Coordinate Gaza Aid Airdrops as Calls Grow to Recognise Palestine
LONDON, July 26 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Britain is working with Jordan to deliver emergency aid to Gaza by air, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to formally recognise the Palestinian state. A British military planning and logistics team has been deployed to assist Jordan with aid airdrops into the besieged enclave, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) quoted a BBC report on Saturday. The move follows Israel's decision to allow foreign countries to conduct airdrops amid growing concern over the second year of the conflict in Gaza. bootstrap slideshow Starmer said the UK is 'urgently accelerating efforts' to evacuate children in Gaza who require critical medical treatment in Britain. The announcement comes as calls grow for London to recognise Palestinian statehood. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would do so within months. A letter signed by 220 lawmakers from nine political parties -- more than half of them from Starmer's Labour Party urged the government to formally recognise Palestine. The international push for recognition has gained momentum in recent years. While 81 countries recognised Palestine in 1988, more have joined since, including South Africa (1995), Brazil (2010), Chile (2011) and Thailand (2012). Spain and Ireland announced recognition in 2024, followed by Mexico in 2025, while France is expected to do so soon.


The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Syria, Israel agree to continue talks after Paris meeting
SYRIAN and Israeli officials agreed to meet again after no final accord was reached in U.S.-mediated talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Saturday, citing a diplomatic source. The source described the dialogue as 'honest and responsible', in the first confirmation from the Syrian side that talks had taken place. On Friday, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said officials from both countries spoke about de-escalating the situation in Syria during the talks on Thursday. Representatives from the Syrian foreign ministry and intelligence officials were in attendance, Syria's Ekhbariya reported. Hundreds of people have been reported killed in clashes in the southern Syrian province of Sweida between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces. Israel intervened with airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killings of Druze by government forces. Last week's clashes underlined the challenges interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces in stabilising Syria and maintaining centralised rule, despite warming ties with the U.S. and his administration's evolving security contacts with Israel. The diplomatic source said the meeting involved initial consultations aimed at 'reducing tensions and opening channels of communication amid an ongoing escalation since early December'. The Syrian side held Israel responsible for the latest escalation, saying that the continuation of such 'hostile policies' was threatening the region, according to the source. The Syrian delegation also said that Damascus would not accept 'imposing new realities on the ground'. - Reuters