KUALA LUMPUR – In a joint effort, the Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) and the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) have called upon the Malaysian government to take diplomatic action against Israel for its ongoing military operations in Gaza. The organizations have urged Malaysia to lobby the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Islamic countries that are signatories to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to initiate proceedings for referring Israel to the jurisdiction of the ICC under Article 14 of the Rome Statute. The groups have further proposed that these countries encourage International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan to commence investigations into Israel for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. They emphasize the issuance of arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister, akin to the actions taken against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The basis for these calls lies in the assertion that Israel’s continuous attacks on the civilian population in Gaza represent a significant breach of international law, constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes according to the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions. Specific allegations include the deportation or forcible transfer of the population (Article 7(1)(d) of the Rome Statute) and unprovoked attacks and bombardments on civilians, along with a blockade preventing the supply of essential necessities (Article 8(2)(a-d)). Citing a report by Al Jazeera, which indicates that Israel has admitted to dropping 6,000 bombs weighing 4,000 tonnes on Gaza in the initial six days of its bombing campaign, the organizations argue that these actions are unjustifiable. They point out that Israel has failed to provide the civilian population with the opportunity to seek safe shelter, leading to over 2,750 casualties, including over 1,000 innocent children, and the forced displacement of more than 1 million Gaza residents. Despite these dire circumstances, the International Criminal Court has not yet initiated investigations into the situation, leaving many concerned. The organizations believe that Malaysia, as a moderate Muslim country, can play a crucial role in uniting both Muslim and non-Muslim nations to take international action against the bombardment and displacement of Gaza’s population. Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy, President of the Malaysian Advancement Party, underscores the importance of these efforts to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
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