logo
Palestine's Estephan Salameh arrives in Kuala Lumpur for CEAPAD IV

Palestine's Estephan Salameh arrives in Kuala Lumpur for CEAPAD IV

The Star11-07-2025
SEPANG: Palestine's Planning and International Cooperation Minister Dr Estephan Salameh arrived in Kuala Lumpur Friday (July 11) to attend the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD IV).
He arrived on a special flight at the KLIA Bunga Raya Complex at 8.40 am and was received by Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali.
Salameh is scheduled to co-chair the CEAPAD IV alongside Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
The meeting is held in conjunction with the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings under Malaysia's Asean Chairmanship.
CEAPAD IV will focus, among others, on capacity-building programmes, the reconstruction of critical infrastructure in Palestine, and the effective delivery of comprehensive humanitarian assistance.
Current member states of CEAPAD are Japan, Palestine, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
The last CEAPAD ministerial meeting was held in Bangkok in 2018.
According to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry's website, the meeting reflects Malaysia's continued commitment to the Palestinian cause, as underscored by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 29, who emphasised the urgent need to accelerate efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza and Palestine.
The ministry reiterated its commitment to working closely with Japan under the CEAPAD framework to respond to the Palestinians' call for assistance. - Bernama
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Egypt rejects participating in displacement of Palestinians
Egypt rejects participating in displacement of Palestinians

New Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Egypt rejects participating in displacement of Palestinians

CAIRO: Egypt has reiterated its categorical rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people and called on countries not to participate in this heinous crime. According to the Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA), the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that it "is following with deep concern the recent reports of Israeli consultations with some countries regarding accepting the displacement of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to their territory. This is part of an unacceptable Israeli policy aimed at emptying the Palestinian land of its inhabitants, occupying it, and liquidating the Palestinian cause." The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified in a statement issued on Sunday that Egypt, through its contacts with countries that have reportedly agreed to receive the Palestinian people, has indicated its rejection of these reprehensible plans. Egypt reiterated its categorical rejection of any Israeli plans aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their historic land, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, under any pretext, justification, or label, whether the displacement is forced or "voluntary" through policies of starvation, land confiscation, settlement, and making life impossible on Palestinian land. Egypt also affirmed that it will not accept or participate in such displacement, considering it a historical injustice with no moral or legal justification. It will not allow it, as it will inevitably lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause. It called on all peace-loving countries of the world to refrain from involvement in this immoral crime, which contravenes all principles of international humanitarian law, constitutes a war crime and ethnic cleansing, and represents a clear violation of the four Geneva Conventions. It also warned of the historical and legal responsibility that will fall on any party involved in this heinous crime, and the political consequences and repercussions it may have with regional and international dimensions. – Bernama-Wafa

Mass rally in Tel Aviv demands end to Gaza war and hostage release
Mass rally in Tel Aviv demands end to Gaza war and hostage release

New Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Mass rally in Tel Aviv demands end to Gaza war and hostage release

TEL AVIV: Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the start of the fighting in October 2023. The rally was the culmination of a day of nationwide protests and a general strike to pressure the government to halt the military campaign. "Bring them all home! Stop the war!" shouted the vast crowd which had converged on the so-called "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv plaza – a focal point for protesters throughout the war. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the initiator of the day of protest, estimated that about 500,000 people joined the evening demonstration in Tel Aviv – a figure not confirmed by the police. "We demand a comprehensive and achievable agreement and an end to the war. We demand what is rightfully ours – our children," said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan and a leading figure of the protest movement. "The Israeli government has transformed a just war into a pointless war," she told the crowd. National media published a video message by Matan Zangauker on Sunday, in which the hostage, weak and emaciated, addressed his family and told them he missed them. The video was filmed by Hamas and found in Gaza by the army, the family said. "This is probably the last minute we have to save the hostages," demonstrator Ofir Penso, 50, told AFP. The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, 22 months into a war that has created a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group vowed Sunday that protesters would "shut down the country" with the goal of bringing back the hostages and ending the war. Throughout the country, demonstrators blocked traffic arteries, set tyres on fire and clashed with the police. More than 30 protesters were arrested, law enforcement said. In many places, though, AFP journalists saw businesses carrying on unimpeded. In Jerusalem's main shopping district, it was business as usual. A shop assistant in the city centre said the owner supported the campaign for the hostages' return but chose not to participate in the strike. "Everyone is helping the way they can," she said, declining to give her name. Netanyahu slammed the protesters, saying their actions "not only harden Hamas's position and draw out the release of our hostages, but also ensure that the horrors of Oct 7 will reoccur." Egypt said in recent days mediators were leading a renewed push to secure a 60-day truce deal that includes hostages being released, after the last round of talks in Qatar ended without a breakthrough. Some Israeli government members who oppose any deal with Hamas slammed Sunday's demonstrations. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried "a perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas" and calls for "surrender." However, Benny Gantz, an opposition leader, condemned the government for "attacking the families of the hostages" while "bearing responsibility for the captivity of their children by Hamas for nearly two years." The Israeli plan to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps has sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition. On Sunday, Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Eya Zamir said the army was moving ahead with a plan "focusing on Gaza City." Hamas warned it would result in "a new wave of extermination and mass displacement." Army Radio said residents would be evacuated before troops encircled and seized Gaza City in the coming weeks, with tens of thousands of reservists called up. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has heavily limited the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire on Sunday killed over sixty Palestinians, including at least 37 waiting to collect food aid near two sites. The conflict began with Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 people were taken hostage. Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas's assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

South African journalists march for protection of Gaza colleagues
South African journalists march for protection of Gaza colleagues

The Star

time8 hours ago

  • The Star

South African journalists march for protection of Gaza colleagues

CAPE TOWN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- South African journalists and media workers led a march in Sea Point, Cape Town, on Sunday, calling for greater protection for Palestinian journalists in Gaza and expressing solidarity with their slain colleagues. The demonstration, which organizers said drew more than 2,000 participants, followed an Aug. 10 airstrike on a tent outside Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital that killed five Al Jazeera correspondents and a freelance journalist. The march was organized by Journalists Against Apartheid (JAA) and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with support from groups including Mothers4Gaza, South African Jews for a Free Palestine, and Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine. South African journalists condemned what they described as Israel's systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists for exposing war crimes and acts of genocide. JAA denounced the "media massacre" in Gaza, accusing Western outlets of amplifying Israeli narratives while silencing Palestinian voices. "We are enraged by Western media that have repeated Israeli lies without scrutiny while silencing Palestinian voices, permitting this genocide to continue," said JAA member Deshnee Subramany, reading a statement from the organization. The group also criticized South African media houses for participating in sponsored propaganda trips to Israel without disclosing the funding sources of their reporting. Demands from the marchers included the release of Palestinian journalists detained in Gaza and the West Bank, an end to Israel's media ban, and the entry of foreign correspondents into Gaza. The final words of prominent Gazan journalist Anas al-Sharif, one of those killed, were read aloud by Palestinian journalist Aziz Bakr, moving the crowd to tears. A group of 25 veteran journalists endorsed a letter of solidarity to be sent to the South African government and the Israeli embassy. Since October 2023, Israel has killed 269 journalists in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera, citing data from the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, and a database compiled by Palestinian reporters.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store