Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim stated that his meeting with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshaal in Qatar last week was to persuade them to seek a peaceful solution to the onslaught on Gaza, Al Jazeera reports, citing the Malay Mail.

“I’ve known them for decades, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t meet them. I said, please respect the decision of your neighbouring countries and try to secure peace, exchange prisoners and accept a two-state solution,” the PM is reported to have said during a question and answer session at the Nikkei Forum 29th Future of Asia.

“We can go on discussing what happened on October 7, but do not erase seven decades from the period of Nakba in 1948.”

The PM encouraged a “peaceful resolution” but, referring to Israel’s siege of Gaza, he stressed that what is most important now is to “stop shooting women and children, stop the destruction of hospitals, schools, churches and mosques”.