Vivian Balakrishnan to make working visit to Palestinian Territories and Israel following ceasefire agreement
Singapore's foreign affairs minister also visited the Palestinian Territories and Israel in 2024.
Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with China at the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on Jul 26, 2024. (File photo: AFP/Sai Aung Main)
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JERUSALEM, Israel: Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan will make a working visit to the Palestinian Territories and Israel from Monday (Nov 3) to Thursday.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday that the visit follows the recent implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of all hostages.
US President Donald Trump announced last month that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release - the first phase of his 20-point peace plan to end the war in the Palestinian enclave.
MFA said Dr Balakrishnan’s visit “reaffirms Singapore’s commitment towards humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and our support for the two-state solution”.
It added that Singapore will continue to support the Palestinian Authority’s capacity-building programmes and assist international efforts for the long-term reconstruction of Gaza.
In a Facebook video posted on Monday, Dr Balakrishnan said: "I'm glad that Singapore has access and deep reservoirs of trust on both sides of this tragic conflict.
"It allows us to better understand the situation on the ground, and also to contribute constructively and to reflect the compassion and goodwill on the part of all Singaporeans."
He added that he will be handing over a cheque of US$500,000 to the World Food Programme on behalf of Singapore to support the humanitarian needs on the ground.
"We will continue to reiterate our support for a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as the only path to a just and lasting peace," he said.
Following the ceasefire deal, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said last month that Singapore is ready to do its part to rebuild Gaza, and that US engagement is vital for continued progress.
Dr Balakrishnan will be accompanied by Members of Parliament Yip Hon Weng and Hazlina Abdul Halim, as well as officials from MFA.
The two MPs are part of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs.
Dr Balakrishnan visited the Palestinian Territories and Israel in March last year.
During the visit to Ramallah, he met with then-Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Dr Mohammad Shtayyeh and his successor Dr Mohammad Mustafa, among other leaders.
He expressed Singapore's deep concern for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Dr Balakrishnan also met with leaders in Israel, including President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During that visit, he expressed Singapore’s sympathies to the families affected by the Hamas attacks on Oct 7, 2023.
He also reiterated Singapore's view that Israel's military actions in Gaza had "gone too far".
During a ministerial statement in September, Dr Balakrishnan announced that MFA would be contributing US$500,000 to the World Food Programme's effort to fight hunger in Gaza.
Singapore will also do more by supporting Egyptian hospitals in treating injured Palestinians, and will provide prosthetic supplies for about 100 Palestinian amputees being treated in Jordan and at Jordanian field hospitals in Gaza.
Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting around 250 hostages.
According to Palestinian health authorities, Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 people and displaced nearly the entire population.
