CEAPAD remains committed to rebuilding Palestine, starts by treating evacuated Gaza patients

Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to support Palestine through direct humanitarian assistance and regional cooperation during the recent Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestine Development (CEAPAD) conference briefing session it co-chaired with Palestine.

The online session brought together East Asian nations and development partners under the CEAPAD framework to discuss Gaza’s post-ceasefire reconstruction. 

“Participants reaffirmed their readiness to support the Palestinian effort and collaborate in various ways by utilising their own strengths to contribute to humanitarian assistance and recovery and reconstruction efforts, as well as to peace and stability in the medium to long term,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said as stated by Bernama.

The participants also agreed to coordinate the congregation of a CEAPAD ministerial meeting in Malaysia as part of this renewed commitment this year.

The CEAPAD conference at Seri Perdana during Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s first trip to Malaysia since his premiership appointment (photo credit: Instagram Anwar Ibrahim)

The briefing included Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as representatives from the World Bank, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the Islamic Development Bank and the Office of the Quartet (OQ).

Japan, in a statement, emphasised that CEAPAD remains the most prominent example of Tokyo’s efforts to strengthen international cooperation through East Asian collaboration in support of Palestine’s long-term development.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also initiated the country’s first medical evacuation of two Palestinians to receive treatment in Japan recently. The two were being hospitalised in Egypt after suffering injuries and illnesses due to the conflict in Gaza.

“Based on medical assessments, the two individuals rescued from Gaza have been identified as likely to achieve meaningful functional recovery through treatment in Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru (photo credit: Malaysiakini) 

“Japan hopes that these young people who present the future of Gaza and Palestine will recover through treatment in Japan and return to Gaza to contribute to reconstruction and development,” the ministry said in the same statement. 

For the record, Japan has provided US$230 million (RM1.09 billion) to the Palestinian Authority since October 2023, which included humanitarian aid, early recovery support and financial assistance.

To date, Japan’s aid to Palestine since 1993 totals approximately US$2.6 billion which covers political, diplomatic and developmental assistance.

On 10th January, Ishiba and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim discussed ongoing cooperation under CEAPAD during a bilateral meeting in Putrajaya.

Ishiba and Anwar at Seri Perdana (photo credit: Instagram Anwar Ibrahim)

During the meeting, Anwar conveyed Malaysia’s full support for Japan’s leadership in the initiative, particularly its focus on post-war reconstruction in Gaza which is an effort he described as deeply meaningful for Malaysia and the Muslim community.

Japan launched CEAPAD in 2013, to serve as a regional platform for East Asian countries to share their experiences in economic growth, institutional development and human capital strengthening to help build a viable Palestinian state.