‘The ball is in your court now,’ Mohamad told US Secretary of State Blinken

KUALA LUMPUR: The onus is on the United States to ensure Israel complies with the recently approved United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said that Malaysia emphasised its support towards any measures to end the killing of Palestinians, including through the US-sponsored resolution and the two-state solution.

Mohamad said during a recent meeting in Amman, Jordan, he told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken: “The ball is in your court now. This is your proposal, and make sure it is working.”

“We want the resolution that has been supported by the UNSC to be implemented, and the US must make sure that its ally, Israel, complies with it.”

The three-phase US-backed resolution includes an immediate and full ceasefire, an exchange of hostages, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.

“The UN has held an emergency meeting in Amman (Jordan) to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza, which Malaysia also attended. I told (the meeting) that we would fully support any measures to resolve the conflict.

“The issue is for the killing (of Palestinians) to be stopped,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (June 24).

The Rembau MP earlier responded to a question by Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang (PN-Marang), who had asked the minister to state the extent of the government’s intention to review the two-state solution approach to uphold the sovereignty of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

For this, Mohamad said Malaysia has been committed to resolving the issue faced by the Palestinians since the beginning of the war and conflict in 1948, which includes the two-state solution.

“We have fully supported any motion from the Oslo Accord 1993 signed in Washington, US and in the 1995’s Taba Summit in Egypt.

“We also will continue to support any efforts to resolve the conflict in Palestine, including the two-state solutions,” he said.

“Malaysia brings the voice of its people that the atrocity against the Palestinian people needs to be stopped, and it has been the basis of our support for over 70 years.”

On June 10, the United States-drafted text calling for a ceasefire was voted in favour by a large majority of 14 votes. Russia abstained, choosing not to exercise its veto power.

The resolution also urges both parties to fully implement the proposal terms “without delay and without condition.”

Russia’s Permanent Representative told the Council that after the vote, there needed to be more clarity over what exactly Israel had signed up for in the resolution, leaving too many questions unanswered for Moscow to offer its support.