Malaysia Urges UN to Impose Sanctions on Israel, Calls for Urgent Reforms

New York, The Gulf Observer: Malaysia has called on the United Nations to impose sanctions on Israel, warning that the continuation of the Zionist regime’s aggression poses a grave threat to peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond.

Delivering Malaysia’s National Statement at the General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2025 on Saturday, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Israel’s recent assault on Doha, Qatar, was not merely an attack on a few Hamas representatives, but a violation of another state’s sovereignty and an affront to all mediation efforts.

He cautioned that the strike signalled Israel’s intent to perpetuate violence in the region, with destabilising effects certain to spill over to the rest of the world.

“The atrocities may have begun with Palestine, but they certainly will not end with Palestine. As the Middle East grows ever more dangerous for its residents, we will feel the reverberations all over the world. This is why simply advocating for a two-state solution is not enough,” Mohamad said.

The Foreign Minister reaffirmed Malaysia’s support for the Palestinian cause, citing initiatives such as the New York Declaration, while stressing the need for concrete measures against the occupying force and sustained efforts to build a viable, self-governing Palestinian state.

He underscored that the credibility of the UN is at stake after 80 years of its existence and 77 years of Palestinian suffering. “If we cannot resolve this, the citizens of the world will lose faith in us and in the international order,” he said.

Calling for urgent UN reforms, Mohamad argued that three priorities are essential for the organisation’s survival: curbing or abolishing the use of the veto, restoring authority to the General Assembly as the most inclusive body of the UN, and redesigning global financing mechanisms to ensure fairness and transparency for the Global South.

“We must challenge [the veto] each and every time it is wielded, particularly in cases of crimes against humanity. Authority must flow back to the General Assembly… Reform is no longer a choice but imperative,” he said.

Mohamad further urged the UN to enforce accountability among the Permanent Members of the Security Council through the Veto Initiative (Resolution 76/272) and to actively pursue results via the Uniting for Peace Resolution (377A).

“No more shall we quietly accept the dismissal of our collective voice. We must question and challenge the veto. We must free the Security Council from this humiliating paralysis,” he stressed.

Concluding his statement, the Foreign Minister reiterated that the United Nations must remain relevant and effective as a guardian of global peace.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians — most of them women and children — devastating the enclave and creating a famine, according to reports.