Necva Tastan
16 October 2023•Update: 16 October 2023
ISTANBUL
Singapore said on Monday it will continue to advocate for a negotiated two-state solution aligned with UN resolutions, urging both Israel and Palestine to pursue peace and security for all.
“Singapore has long held the position that the only viable path to a durable, just and comprehensive resolution to the longstanding conflict is a negotiated two-state solution consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions," said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.
For decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has tragically claimed numerous lives on both sides, it said.
In light of the urgent humanitarian situation, the Singapore government will donate S$300,000 ($219,002) to the Singapore Red Cross for relief operations, the statement added.
Support for a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict comes from various countries and international bodies, including the UN, Türkiye, China, Pakistan, Malaysia, the US, and the EU, among others.
Their common objective is to achieve a comprehensive resolution, allowing independent Israeli and Palestinian states to coexist peacefully and securely.
Ten days into the conflict with Palestinian group Hamas, Israeli bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip has continued, with over 1 million people – almost half the total population of Gaza – having been displaced, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis with no electricity, while water, food, fuel and medical supplies are running out, as civilians flee to the south following Israeli warning to evacuate northern areas.
The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7 initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.
The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has risen to 2,750, including 750 children.
In Israel, 1,300 have been killed.
