Asean accuses Israel of ‘openly committing genocide’, demands end to Gaza war
The bloc wants the US and others to end the war swiftly and says Israel has carried out relentless assaults in Gaza with impunity
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.”
Asean’s statement comes on the heels of a meeting on Thursday between Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed confidence that a ceasefire is imminent, which will allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Rubio, along with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and chief diplomats from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, also attended the EAS.
Rubio is the highest-profile US official to visit Asia since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term in January.
Mohamad said members of the EAS account for more than half of the global economy with a combined nominal gross domestic product of about US$68 trillion, giving them ample leverage to push for an end to all conflicts.
“Peace, stability and predictability are essential. Let us take this opportunity to take decisive action to end all conflict … guided by principles of justice, fairness and equality and humanity,” he said.
Participants at the summit are scheduled to hold another round of discussions later in the afternoon at the Asean Regional Forum.
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The meetings are being held on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by Malaysia as this year’s Asean chair.
