The issue of foreigners still stuck inside Gaza is not being given enough attention. Foreigners should be able to just pack their bags and leave Gaza if they want to but sadly this is not happening even ONE MONTH after this crisis began.
Thousands of foreigners are still kept waiting by Hamas including at the Rafah crossing into Egypt which is closed on TWO SIDES. On one side Egypt has almost permanently closed the Rafah crossing and on the other side the Hamas has also closed the Rafah crossing. Only aid trucks from Egypt are allowed into Gaza and some foreigners are allowed by Hamas to leave Gaza.
The foreigners are being used as bargaining chips by Hamas. For example Hamas has said that if their wounded fighters are not allowed into Egypt for treatment then they will restrict all the other foreigners from leaving. Another view says that Hamas will use the foreigners as human shields as well.
On October 12th 2023 our Foreign Minister my very old friend Brader Zambry Abdul Kadir said that one Malaysian woman in Gaza would be able to leave by October 26th 2023. Here is the news :
However the latest news report dated 5th November 2023 (below) says that the Malaysian woman Nurul Ain is still stuck inside Gaza.
I think Nurul Ain would like to leave Gaza but obviously she cannot. What is really going on?
Do not worry about the West Bank. The West Bank is at peace. The problem is only inside Gaza. How many other Malaysians are there inside Gaza? I recall watching videos of Malaysians helping out at refugee camps in Gaza. Some Malaysians were also volunteers at the hospitals there. Are they all ok? Can they leave Gaza? Or are they also being prevented from leaving Gaza?
Here are more news headlines about "disruptions" by Hamas that are blocking foreigners from leaving Gaza:
The following headlines are from November 1st but since then there have been disruptions to foreigners leaving Gaza. Meaning this news is no more valid :
For example just two days later on November 3rd, there is this picture of this man sitting at the Rafah crossing holding his head in his hands, waiting to be allowed to walk through the Rafah crossing to freedom in Egypt.
I use the word "freedom" because that is what is being denied all these foreigners by the Hamas. Foreigners are not being allowed the freedom to leave Gaza.
Can you imagine one day you went for a holiday or for business to a foreign country after which you went to the airport to catch your flight home but instead you are told 'You cannot leave. You must remain here.'
That is exactly what is happening to foreigners in Gaza now. They are being prevented from leaving.
So far I have visited over 24 countries around the world. In my younger days I visited Third World countries (in Asia and the Middle East). But I have stopped visiting Third World countries. Nowadays I only visit the more advanced countries. They are civilised.
You can visit a Third World country if you have good friends or relatives living there. And if everything is fine and nothing untoward happens. But the moment something goes wrong or something bad happens you really do not want to be in a Third World country. And for foreigners this includes Malaysia. Third World countries can instantly become quite lawless - meaning no one will care about doing anything according to the law. And I think in Malaysia we are outstanding in this area as well.
In Egypt they can stop you at the airport for no reason and ask you for money. After that every other person tries to rip you off.
In Gaza there are no laws. The only law is Hamas. Brader Zambry Abdul Kadir has to keep an eye on that Malaysian woman stuck in Gaza. Even if it is one Malaysian only (which I doubt) that is one too many.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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