Malaysia pledges $1 million to rebuild Gaza coronavirus centre destroyed by Israel

Malaysia has pledged over $1 million in aid as part of an ongoing effort to rebuild the besieged Gaza Strip, following Israel's 11-day onslaught in May, which killed over 260 Palestinians, including dozens of children.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia's foreign minister, said the funds will go towards rebuilding the Covid-19 testing facility in Gaza, which was destroyed in last month’s Israeli attack.

"Malaysia will focus on carrying out humanitarian aid efforts for the Palestinian people to rebuild Gaza through partnerships with NGOs," he said in a statement.

"I also invite other countries that share the same determination to step forward and mobilise aid for Palestine."

Hishammuddin made the commitment during a meeting with the Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki on the sideline of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday, according to Palestinian Authority's official news agency Wafa.

Hishammuddin added that Malaysia will continue to stand with Palestine and condemn Israel's attacks on Palestinians, while affirming Malaysia's unwavering support for the Palestinian struggle, and strongly condemned Israeli's atrocities against the Palestinians.

Israel's last offensive in Gaza killed at least 260 Palestinians, including 66 children. The flare-up in violence last month saw occupying warplanes decimate residential and commercial buildings, including those housing global media networks such as Al Jazeera and The Associated Press.

Thousands of Palestinians in the already besieged Gaza Strip were left homeless due to the indiscriminate Israeli bombardment, which drew global scrutiny and calls for urgent action to halt the ongoing aggression against the native population.

This week, a human rights group filed a complain to the UN's Universal Post Union (UPU) over Israeli mail restrictions in Gaza, which have been slammed as a form of collective punishment.