ALOR STAR: The atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians fall under the definition of genocide under Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG).
Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid said Israel's belligerent acts have violated all five acts related to genocide, including ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.
"This crime is glaringly evident, a clear case defined as genocide with five criteria. It is undeniably genocide. We cannot evade the fact that this is genocide.
"Secondly, they are guilty of ethnically cleansing Palestinians, aiming to forcibly expel Gazans into Sinai.
"Thirdly, they committed collective punishment, claiming of targeting Hamas but harming civilians, including children and the elderly, and devastating hospitals. This is unacceptable," Azmi told a press conference after receiving RM173,500 in public donations for Palestinians from the Pattani Islamic Council.
According to Article II of the CPPCG, genocide involves committing any of the five genocidal acts with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
These acts include killing group members, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions leading to physical destruction, imposing measures to prevent births and forcibly transferring children.
Commenting further, Azmi urged the government to continue efforts to persuade other countries to condemn Israel's genocide.
"We strongly advocate for international legal action against Israel. Currently, only 10 countries, seem to be influenced by the United States in their support for Israel, while 150 or more countries, including Western nations, choose not to support this.
"Israel and the United States are facing the world in this. Not just Gaza or Palestine."
Azmi lauded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's unwavering commitment in rejecting calls to condemn Hamas actions in defending Palestinians.
During the first session of the Asean-Japan Summit on Sunday, Anwar reiterated Malaysia's stance in the Palestine-Israel conflict and once again condemned Israeli destruction of Gaza.
Anwar had touched on the situation in Gaza, saying that Malaysia- along with all other Asean nations- welcomes the adoption of the recent United Nations General Assembly resolution on Dec 12 demanding for a humanitarian ceasefire and release of hostages.
The nonbinding resolution was supported by 153 countries including Japan, France, China and Russia, while only 10 countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against it. Britain, Germany, Italy and 20 other countries abstained.