Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Monday accused Western countries of demonstrating hypocrisy and applying double standards by reacting differently to the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.
"The Western powers quickly provided support in the Ukraine crisis. However, they disregarded Palestine completely. This happens despite recent events in Palestine that have been catastrophic, leading to significant loss of life on both sides, with thousands injured and extensive property damage," Ahmad Zahid was quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper as saying during his address to the parliament.
He also said that double standards applied to the situation questioned the fairness of international law enforcement, adding that the West turned a blind eye to violence during the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"May the ongoing conflict be resolved, and the world must collectively play its role and responsibility, regardless of any particular interests," Ahmad Zahid said.
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning. The Israeli army said the Hamas movement had fired over 3,000 rockets, adding that dozens of Hamas troops had infiltrated border areas in southern Israel. The Israeli military has since sent troops to the southern territories to reconquer them from the Palestinian forces and started conducting strikes at Hamas' positions in Gaza. The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country was officially in a state of war.