Malaysian PM Najib Razak visits Gaza Strip in show of solidarity

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has arrived in the Gaza Strip to express his solidarity with Palestinians after the Israeli war on the coastal enclave claimed the lives of some 170 civilians in November, 2012.

“This is a humanitarian visit to express our deep concerns for what happens to the Palestinian people in Gaza and to express our opposition to the (Israeli) aggression on Gaza,” said Razak on Tuesday in a news conference in Gaza.

According to reports, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and other high-ranking officials also accompanied Najib on the one-day visit.

According to the Israeli military, during the November war – between November 14 and 21 – more than 1,500 targets were hit across Gaza. Some 170 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and about 1,200 others were injured in the Israeli attacks.

In retaliation, Palestinian resistance fighters fired rockets and missiles on Israeli cities, killing at least five Israelis.

A ceasefire agreement, which took effect on November 21, ended the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded since June 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.

During the offensive in Gaza, the Malaysian prime minister called on international powers to influence Israel to halt Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.

The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.