PUTRAJAYA: The four-day ceasefire in Palestine brings only "some relief", said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said Palestinians were still up against a "brutal regime" who had openly said that they would continue with their attacks. "The ceasefire brings some relief, but they are still facing a brutal regime who have said they will continue attacking (Gaza). This is very worrying to us.
"Malaysia is open to sending anything (whether aid or volunteers during the ceasefire), and we will agree to this. "However, it is subject to the joint decision with Arab and Islamic nations, and neighbouring countries surrounding Palestine."
He told this to reporters after attending the Friday prayers at Surau Al-Furqan here, today. On Wednesday, Hamas had said it had reached a four-day ceasefire agreement with Israel under Qatari-Egyptian mediation.
Under the agreement mediated by Qatar, Hamas had agreed to release 50 Israelis they held captive, in exchange for 150 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. It also includes a four-day fighting pause and would allow the entry of 300 humanitarian aid and supply trucks into the Gaza strip.
Separately, Anwar also said there was already a replacement for the post of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, left vacant after the death of Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub in July. "We have a replacement, and we will announce it as soon as possible," he said.
Touching on the results of the approval rating conducted by Merdeka Centre, Anwar said the study only polled 1,200 Malaysians. "We need to approach the other 32 million people here," he said.
The independent pollster yesterday said its survey revealed that Anwar's personal approval rating dropped to 50 per cent compared to 68 per cent in its December poll last year. This was mainly due to rising concern over Malaysia's economy.