Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has contacted the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the President of the UN General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann and sought for a UN special assembly on the Gaza conflict, Malaysian Foreign Minister said on Monday.
The assembly was necessary after the UN Security Council failed to reach a decision to stop the Israeli aggression on Palestine, Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said at a media conference in Putrajaya, the administrative center of Malaysia.
Badawi would also get in touch with all the heads of governments under the auspices of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), ASEAN and several other international organizations to press for the special assembly to be held as soon as possible, he said.
"With the death toll exceeding 500, the attacks can no longer be considered a political game or human casualties, on the contrary, it is a war but those who are aligned to Israel will not admit it," Rais said.
"Malaysia had participated in the OIC executive meeting two days ago which had reached a consensus to create a special group comprising representatives of influential OIC countries to lobby for peace in Palestine," he said.
In addition, the meeting had also called for the despatch of a special UN peace mission to serve along the Gaza-Israeli border and the setting up of a Humanitarian Aid Fund to assist the victims affected, he said.
"We need to emphasize here that while humanitarian efforts are being carried out, it is important for the international community to accept the fact that Israel had attacked an area within Palestine, bordering with Jordan and affiliated nations in West Asia," the minister said.
"This is an act of war because the death toll has exceeded 500 and stern action must be taken against Israel," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2009)