Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned against provoking the matter, saying it is important for the country to work with the Middle East states, which should “play the prominent roles”.

“Some insist we should send our armed forces but that is not what we will consider for now.

“Our focus is on humanitarian assistance,” he said at an event at the Seri Perdana Complex, Putrajaya, where he witnessed corporate contributions to the humanitarian trust fund for the people of Palestine.

Anwar said the government had approved RM10 million, and the contributions collected from companies had come to around RM81 million. He said the government expected to reach its goal of collecting RM100 million in the near future.

He said the conflict in Palestine is not an issue of race, rights or a historical battle. It is more of an issue of people being dispossessed of their land, property, and dignity.

Israel declared war on Hamas following the group’s surprise attack on several locations in Israel on Oct 7. More than 3,000 people have been killed on both sides since.

United Nations data shows that at least 1 million people were forced to flee their homes in one week alone, and at least 400,000 displaced persons are now in UN schools and buildings, most of which are not equipped as emergency shelters.