Israel must stop war for peace talks to progress, says Malaysia's PM

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has backed Türkiye's proposal to convene an emergency session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over the Gaza ceasefire.

In a statement posted on X, Premier Ibrahim said he also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, on Monday before his departure for India.

"Our conversation focused on several crucial efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and ensuring lasting peace in Gaza. I reiterated Malaysia's commitment to support such initiatives to achieve the objectives under the guidance of key countries including Türkiye, Qatar and Iran," he said.

Urging US, its allies to pressure Israel

Ibrahim said that one of the key points of discussion was Türkiye’s proposal to convene an emergency session of the OIC to mobilise the leaders of the Islamic world to exert pressure on the US and its allies, urging them to compel Israel to cease attacks and bombings in Gaza immediately.

"Alhamdulillah, the Iranian government and Hamas are in agreement and expressed their support for this initiative, including a shared consensus on extending invitations to non-Muslim nations that stand for justice and human rights for the Palestinian people, such as South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal," said the Malaysian prime minister.

"Additionally, Dr. Masoud, Dr. Basem, and I believe that any meaningful progress toward peace must begin with the unconditional cessation of all military actions and acts of aggression against the Palestinian people by the Israelis," he concluded.