Warm welcome: Anwar arriving at Turmhotel Victoria in Davos for a three-day working visit in conjunction with the WEF summit. — Bernama
BRUGES: Malaysia, Belgium and the European Union (EU) have welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza and hope Israel will maintain peace, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He expressed relief that both Israel and Hamas were willing to seek reconciliation amid the ongoing tensions.
“This means the ceasefire can stop the brutal attacks by Israel on Gaza. For us, that is the effect,” he said at a press conference following his two-day visit to Belgium.However, Anwar said the most pressing issue now is the effort to rebuild Gaza, which has been left in ruins.
“Now, it is our collective responsibility to rebuild Gaza,” he said after delivering a keynote address titled “Bridging Regions: Strengthening Southeast Asia-European Resilience” at the College of Europe here, about 98km from Brussels, reported Bernama.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect at 11.15am local time (5.15pm Malaysian time) on Sunday, after a delay of several hours due to accusations by Israel that Hamas had delayed the list of hostages to be released.
It was initially scheduled to begin at 8.30am local time.
Since Oct 7, 2023, nearly 47,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, and more than 110,700 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to local health authorities.
Earlier on Monday, Anwar met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to discuss Malaysia-Belgium ties, enhance bilateral cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international issues.
He also met with senior EU officials, starting with Kaja Kallas, who is the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission, followed by a private meeting with European Council president Antonio Costa.
He later left for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, will be in Davos until Friday, with around 3,000 participants, including 60 heads of state and key decision-makers expected to attend the meeting.
Save 30% for ads-free and full access now!
