S'pore backs immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, hostage release

Singapore supports an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to facilitate the urgent delivery of aid to affected civilians and calls for the safe, immediate and unconditional release of all civilian hostages, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Maliki Osman.

- Michelle Ng

Dr Maliki, who is also Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, reiterated Singapore's stance on the ongoing conflict at the Group of 20 (G-20) foreign ministers' meeting on Feb 21 and 22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and noted that the situation in Gaza is "distressing".

Israel has intensified air strikes in Rafah, the southern city in Gaza along the Egypt border where about 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge.

The territory's escalating death toll, estimated by the Gaza health authorities to be nearly 30,000 people, has sparked increased international concern, with truce talks underway.

There have been international pleas for restraint, including from Israel's main ally, the United States, with Brazil being the latest to criticise Israel's actions in Gaza.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Feb 15 after meeting his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that Brazil had condemned the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct 7, but Israel's response was "disproportional and indiscriminate", and unacceptable.