SEPANG, Oct 4 — Malaysia welcomes Hamas’ conditional acceptance of the 20-point peace plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said this is a start towards lasting peace for Palestine and its people.
“Thank God, we are grateful that Hamas has accepted (the plan) even if conditionally. This means it cannot be used as an excuse that Hamas has rejected these 20 points, to continue attacking Gaza and killing Palestinians,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after visiting the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) here today.
According to Mohamad, the acceptance also reflects Hamas’ willingness to seek a peaceful solution.
He added that he expects humanitarian aid routes through Rafah and the King Hussein Bridge to be opened once the peace plan is implemented.
In this regard, he urged any parties wishing to channel aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to liaise directly with Wisma Putra so the delivery can be organised quickly and systematically.
“Those who want to help after this should go through the Rafah crossing and the King Hussein Bridge because once they are opened, the delivery of aid can take place swiftly,” he said.
Earlier today, Hamas was reported to have accepted part of the ceasefire plan proposed by Trump, but said several elements in the plan need further negotiations.
Yesterday, Trump set a deadline of 2200 GMT Sunday for Hamas to give its agreement to the plan.
The plan, among others, aims to make Gaza a demilitarised zone with a transitional governing mechanism directly overseen by Trump through an international body tasked with monitoring its implementation.
It also includes the release of all Israeli captives within 72 hours of the plan’s approval, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The plan further calls for an end to hostilities, the disarmament of all armed groups in Gaza, and Israel’s phased withdrawal from the territory, which would then be administered by a technocratic authority under the supervision of an international body led by the US president.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.
The blockade was tightened in March when the regime closed border crossings and restricted the delivery of food and medicine, triggering a famine crisis.
Since October 2023, nearly 66,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, most of them civilians.
