Southeast Asian leaders on Friday called on the United States and others to bring a swift end to the Gaza war, accusing Israel of “openly committing genocide” in its assaults on the Palestinian enclave with little consequence.
More than 56,000 people, mostly women and children, have reportedly been killed so far under aerial bombings and ground assaults by Israel in its nearly two-year war against Hamas, which has levelled much of Gaza and displaced millions.
The war was triggered by a deadly October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel by Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people. The militant group also took 251 people hostage during the attack, many of whom have since been released.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Friday said Israel could not be allowed to continue with its assaults on Gaza, which the bloc argued was rooted in decades of “unjust and illegal occupation” of Palestinian territories.
“Eighty years of impunity have emboldened Israel to the extent of openly committing genocide, which includes babies and children,” Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said at the start of the East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
“This is unacceptable. It must not be allowed to continue. It must be stopped.”
