ASEAN calls for Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian access amid crisis
In a joint communique issued at the end of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting here, the ministers condemned all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, which have resulted in the alarming number of casualties, particularly among women and children.
'The continued restricted access to humanitarian aid, relief supplies and other basic needs, leading to the further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We urged all relevant parties to accept the ceasefire proposal as outlined in paragraph two of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2735.
'We called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, especially women, children, the sick and the elderly. We underscored the importance of release from any arbitrary detention,' it said.
The 58th AMM and related meetings — held from July 8 under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability' — concluded today.
According to the communique, the ministers also urged all ASEAN Member States and external partners to continue providing and facilitating humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza.
The ministers reaffirmed their support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the execution of its mandate.
'We called for the full resumption of rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need, including through increased capacity at border crossings, including by sea.
'We called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights law,' the joint communique stated.
It said the ministers also reaffirmed their longstanding support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to self-determination and to their homeland.
'In this regard, we urged all parties concerned to redouble efforts towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, with the aim of realising the two-State solution in accordance with international law and the relevant UNSC and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) General Assembly resolutions.
'This includes UNGA Resolution A/RES/ES-10/23 on the Admission of New Members to the United Nations, dated May 10, 2024, as well as UNGA Resolution A/RES/ES-10/27 on the protection of civilians and the upholding of legal and humanitarian obligations, dated June 12, 2025, which we all voted in favour,' it said. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Gaza strikes kill 43 as truce talks stall amid rising tensions
GAZA CITY: Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes on Sunday killed at least 43 Palestinians, including civilians at a market and a water distribution point. The attacks occurred as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas remained stalled, with both sides blaming each other for the deadlock. Delegations from Israel and Hamas have spent a week negotiating in Doha, Qatar, attempting to secure a temporary truce to end 21 months of conflict in Gaza. However, discussions collapsed on Saturday, with each side accusing the other of obstructing progress. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed that 11 people died when a market in Gaza City was hit, while eight children were among 10 killed in a drone strike at a water point in Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel's military acknowledged the latter incident, stating a 'technical error' caused munitions to miss their intended target—a member of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad. Khaled Rayyan, a Nuseirat resident, described waking to explosions as a nearby house was struck. 'Our neighbour and his children were under the rubble,' he told AFP. Another local, Mahmud al-Shami, urged negotiators to act: 'What happened to us has never happened in the entire history of humanity. Enough.' The Israeli military intensified operations, striking over 150 targets in Gaza within 24 hours. Aerial footage showed attacks near Beit Hanoun, though AFP could not independently verify casualty figures due to media restrictions. The war, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, has claimed 58,026 Palestinian lives, per Gaza's health ministry. Israel reports 1,219 deaths from the initial attack, with 49 hostages still held in Gaza. Humanitarian conditions deteriorate as fuel shortages reach critical levels. Only 150,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza recently—far below the daily 275,000-litre requirement, said Amjad Shawa of the Palestinian NGOs Network. Meanwhile, the aid vessel Handala sailed from Italy carrying medical supplies, despite Israel's recent interception of a similar mission. Ceasefire negotiations faltered over Israel's reported insistence on maintaining troops in 40% of Gaza, raising fears of forced displacement. A Palestinian source claimed Israel aims to push Palestinians southward, possibly toward Egypt. Israel accused Hamas of inflexibility, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded Hamas disarm before discussing a lasting peace. In Tel Aviv, thousands protested for the hostages' release. Former captive Eli Sharabi warned, 'The window of opportunity... is open now and it won't be for long.' - AFP
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Philippines, US and Japan push to advance trilateral economic ties
MANILA (Bernama-PNA): The Philippines, the United States, and Japan are focused on developing their trilateral economic partnership to complement their growing security ties, the US State Department has announced. According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the foreign ministers of the three states - Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi - discussed the plan and the need to unlock more private sector investments in their flagship Luzon Economic Corridor. They met on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meeting in Malaysia on Thursday (July 10), the statement said. The State Department said Rubio highlighted Manila's wealth in critical minerals and stressed the need to diversify critical mineral supply chains. The officials proposed advancing trilateral cooperation in the Philippines on cyber security, energy (including civil nuclear energy), and investments in reliable and secure telecommunications networks. They concluded with an agreement to hold sectoral trilateral discussions at the senior officials' level in the coming months to advance their shared desire for peace and security in the region. In the same meeting, the officials reaffirmed their interest in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific and agreed to coordinate cooperation on maritime security, including through Maritime Cooperative Activities, trilateral military exercises, and capacity building and assistance for the Philippine Coast Guard and other Philippine maritime authorities. -- Bernama-PNA
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Gaza civil defence says Israeli strikes kill 43 as truce talks deadlocked
GAZA, Palestinian Territories (AFP): Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on Sunday killed more than 40 Palestinians, including at a market and a water distribution point, as talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stalled. Delegations from Israel and the Palestinian militant group have now spent a week trying to agree on a temporary truce to halt 21 months of devastating fighting in the Gaza Strip. But on Saturday, each side accused the other of blocking attempts to secure an agreement at the indirect talks in the Qatari capital, Doha. On the ground, civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said at least 43 people were killed in the latest Israeli strikes, including 11 when a market in Gaza City was hit. Elsewhere, eight children were among the 10 victims of a drone strike at a water point in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, Bassal said. Israel's military blamed a technical problem for that strike, saying it had been targeting a member of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad. "As a result of a technical error with the munition, the munition fell dozens of meters from the target," a statement read. "The incident is under review." Reports of casualties were being examined, it added. Khaled Rayyan told AFP he was woken by the sound of two large explosions after a house was hit in Nuseirat. "Our neighbour and his children were under the rubble," he said. Another resident, Mahmud al-Shami, called on the negotiators to secure an end to the war. "What happened to us has never happened in the entire history of humanity," he said. "Enough." - 150 targets in 24 hours - The Israeli military, which has recently intensified operations across Gaza, said in a statement that in the past 24 hours the air force "struck more than 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip". It released aerial footage of what it said were fighter jet strikes attacking Hamas targets around Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, showing explosions on the ground and thick smoke in the sky. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Of the 251 people taken hostage by militants that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 58,026 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. The UN considers those figures reliable. UN agencies on Saturday warned that fuel shortages had reached "critical levels", threatening to worsen conditions for Gaza's more than two million people. On Sunday, the Handala -- a former Norwegian trawler loaded with medical supplies, food and children's equipment -- set off from Sicily. The pro-Palestinian activists on board hope to reach Gaza, despite Israel having recently detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel, the Madleen, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. - Forced displacement fears - Talks to seal a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release were in the balance on Saturday after Israel and Hamas accused each other of trying to block a deal. Hamas wants the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but a Palestinian source with knowledge of the talks said Israel had presented plans to maintain troops in more than 40 percent of the territory. The source said Israel wanted to force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into the south of Gaza "in preparation for forcibly displacing them to Egypt or other countries". A senior Israeli official said Israel had demonstrated an openness "to flexibility in the negotiations, while Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is prepared to enter talks for a more lasting end to hostilities once a temporary truce is agreed, but only if Hamas disarms. Thousands of people gathered in Israel's coastal hub of Tel Aviv on Saturday to call for the release of the hostages. "The window of opportunity... is open now and it won't be for long," said former captive Eli Sharabi. - AFP
