Singapore ready to do its part to rebuild Gaza; US engagement vital for continued progress: PM Wong

SINGAPORE: Singapore stands ready to do its part in rebuilding Gaza, following the agreement between Israel and Hamas on the first phase of a ceasefire deal, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Oct 10).

Speaking to reporters at the end of a six-day official visit to Australia and New Zealand, Mr Wong said that American engagement will be vital in the roadmap towards a two-state solution.

“Just as American involvement was critical in getting us to where we are now, continued American engagement will be vital in continued progress on this roadmap,” he said.

Earlier on Friday, he had posted on Facebook commending the leadership of US President Donald Trump, as well as the efforts of Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye for helping to achieve this breakthrough.

It was reported on Friday that Israeli troops had begun pulling back from some parts of Gaza under the ceasefire deal with Hamas, and some residents have returned to shattered neighbourhoods.

Mr Wong was asked on Friday about how Singapore would be stepping up its efforts and contributing to the situation in Gaza.

“There is a lot of work to be done, particularly if the peace holds and the next steps are taken in the rebuilding of Gaza,” he said.

“You can imagine huge, tremendous efforts are needed to rebuild Gaza, and we will certainly look forward to doing our part in this process.”

He said that Singapore has already “leaned forward” and stepped up its capacity-building programmes for Palestinians, including scholarships for them.

Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Thursday that such scholarships are among ground-led initiatives by Singapore to help Palestinians.

Mr Wong said the next steps are still unclear as the governing structure is still unknown.

“But we have very good relations with the Palestinian Authority. We will continue to be in touch with them, with Americans and other key players in this process, to see how Singapore can play a helpful role,” he said.

AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT CRITICAL

Singapore has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr Wong reiterated that American leadership, in particular the leadership of Mr Trump, “is and was vital in getting us to where we are today”.

“Because the only country in the world, is America that has that ability to apply leverage and pressure on all the different parties, not just Israel and Hamas, but the Palestinian Authority and other Arab states, for example, to come together and agree on a peace deal,” he said.

For instance, part of the peace plan included Hamas disarming itself and a transitional governance structure for Gaza.

“These are complex steps to take, and eventually, of course, we also must ensure a clear path for Palestinian statehood, as part of a negotiated two-state solution where both Palestinians and Israelis can enjoy lasting peace and security,” said Mr Wong.

He added that these are "very complex, longstanding issues with a lot of history to it”, and many attempts have been made to resolve them in the past but have failed.

“But we must never give up, and we must keep trying,” he said.