M'sians Should Show More Concern For Palestinians In Gaza, Says Dr M

PUTRAJAYA, July 8 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Wednesday called on Malaysians to show more concern towards the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
In a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here, Dr Mahathir said this reminder was necessary because the world's mainstream media was giving less attention to the suffering of the people there.
He said they needed all the help they could get and with winter approaching, their suffering would only get worse if aid like blankets, food and medicine supplies did not reach them.
He also slammed Israel for blocking aid channeled via Cyprus from reaching Palestinians in Gaza.
He added that he would be leaving for Cyprus on July 16 to help draw attention to the dire situation in Gaza.
"This is a humanitarian issue. I hope we (aid groups) can pressure Israel to lift the blockade on aid reaching Gaza. According to international law, the action by Israel (in blocking aid) is wrong," he said, adding that USD4 million in aid had been collected by the international community but could not be delivered to Gaza because of the Israeli action.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Free Gaza Movement, Huwaida Arraf, who was also present at the press conference, appealed to Malaysians to support the movement in its efforts towards alleviating the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
Enquiries or applications to register as volunteers of the Free Gaza Movement can be made by visiting its website www.freegaza.org