Assessment of and Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Crisis

1 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what are the plans of the Government to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis faced by civilians in Gaza impacted by the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza in the Palestinian Territories; and (b) how does the conflict impact Singapore's Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP) currently rendered to support the Palestinian Authority through capacity building of Palestinian officials and scholarships for Palestinian postgraduate students.

2 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how can diplomacy best work to reduce the tragic loss of civilian lives on both sides in the latest Israel-Hamas conflict.

3 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how will Singapore use international platforms to help ensure that all parties in the Israel-Hamas conflict will abide by international humanitarian law.

4 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how will Singapore continue to support a negotiated two-state solution consistent with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

5 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has any bearing on our diplomatic position in the Middle East region; (b) what more can Singapore do to help alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza; and (c) how do we continue to safeguard and uphold our multi-racial and multi-religious peace and harmony amidst the conflict.

6 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what diplomatic efforts have been or are being undertaken by the Singapore Government to persuade all parties involved in the current Israel-Hamas conflict from taking any further actions which would lead to the harming of innocent civilians or non-combatants.

7 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what support has been provided or is being provided by the Singapore Government to Singaporeans living or working in Israel or Gaza since the outbreak of the current Israel-Hamas conflict; (b) how often are the consular emergency plans for Israel, Palestine and other hotspots around the world updated; and (c) when was the last time the consular emergency plans for Israel and Palestine were updated.

8 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza (a) how does the Government ensure that charitable organisations such as the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation is able to get aid donated by Singaporeans to the intended beneficiaries; and (b) beyond financial assistance, whether there are any Government supported programmes for Singaporean donors to do more to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

9 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether Singapore has plans for how it will scale up humanitarian aid to Israel and Palestine in the event of an escalation of hostilities; and (b) whether it has considered the delivery of such aid via nearby countries such as Lebanon and Jordan, given the practical difficulties of providing such aid directly in an active conflict zone.

10 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on what more Singapore can undertake to actively engage within the United Nations (UN) framework to advocate for adherence to the international rule of law in the Israeli-Hamas conflict; and (b) what further actions within and outside the UN framework which the Government is contemplating to take to help alleviate the urgent humanitarian situation in the Israel-Hamas conflict such as helping civilian refugees to leave the conflict area.

11 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is Singapore's position on the definition of reprisals under Rule 145 of customary international humanitarian law.

12 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Singapore's longstanding relationship with the Palestinian Authority (a) what are the steps taken to ensure the safety of Singapore's representative office in Ramallah; (b) how will Singapore continue to engage the Palestinian Authority and provide support through programmes such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme and the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package; and (c) whether such assistance should be placed on hold to focus instead on more pressing needs like humanitarian aid efforts.

13 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the UN Secretary-General's call for immediate humanitarian ceasefire (a) what role can Singapore play on the international stage to help highlight the urgency of the humanitarian crisis that this conflict has brought about; (b) whether Singapore can play a bigger role in reiterating and reinforcing the call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; and (c) what else can Singapore do to help promote peace and stability in the region.

14 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on Singapore's involvement in providing humanitarian assistance in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict; (b) what specific initiatives or aid programmes has Singapore been engaged in; and (c) how does the Government plan to contribute to the peace and stability of the affected region.

15 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the statement by independent experts from the United Nations (UN) which suggests that indiscriminate attacks against civilians in the Israeli-Hamas conflict amount to war crime, whether he will consider (i) reiterating Singapore's principled position on the need to uphold international law and principles enshrined in the UN Charter to the Israeli Government and (ii) supporting the UN Secretary-General's call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict to realize humanitarian efforts and ease civilian suffering.

16 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what are the core national interests undergirding the Singapore Government's position on the escalating violence in Gaza and Israel.

17 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether the Government will consider calling for a ceasefire in Gaza; and (b) what conditions or situations must come to pass before such a call for a ceasefire becomes imminent.

18 Mr Xie Yao Quan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what are the Government's plans to safeguard Singapore's peace and harmony should the situation in Gaza and Israel deteriorate further and for longer.

19 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the recent conflict escalation in the region of Gaza and the reported challenges in delivering humanitarian aid to the affected civilian population (a) what measures are being considered or undertaken by the Government to contribute towards humanitarian assistance in the region, ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need; and (b) how is the Government coordinating with international and regional entities to address the humanitarian concerns arising from the situation effectively.

20 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the recent conflict escalation in the region of Gaza and referencing the applicable United Nations conventions (a) what is the Government's position regarding the recognition and classification of actions as war crimes; and (b) how does our nation's stance align with international standards and frameworks in ensuring accountability and justice, whilst maintaining a balanced and impartial approach towards all parties involved in the conflict.

21 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how can the Government further promote durable peace proactively both in Singapore and abroad amidst overseas conflicts that have the potential to affect and divide local communities, such as the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.

22 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is being done to ensure that humanitarian aid donated by Singapore can effectively and urgently reach civilians affected by the violence in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.

23 Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how can Singapore play a role in renewing diplomatic efforts to work on a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

24 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether he can provide insights into how the Singapore community, in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, can demonstrate strong engagement and support for peace efforts; and (b) what measures and strategies does the Ministry have in place to reinforce religious harmony and encourage inter-faith dialogue within Singapore, especially in light of global events that may impact Singapore's diverse religious landscape.

25 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) what role can religious teachers and mosques play to support the local Muslim community spiritually and emotionally, in understanding the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian Territories; and (b) what steps can be taken to raise public awareness to verify that donations for such humanitarian causes go to legitimate sources.

26 Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Education (a) what steps is the Ministry taking to ensure that students in our schools and junior colleges are not unduly swayed in their views and thinking over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict due to misinformation; (b) whether there are any instances where schools, junior colleges or educators have faced conflict between students who take opposing sides over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and (c) if so, how will such cases be dealt with.

27 Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict, how does the Government plan to safeguard the future of Singapore's (i) businesses (ii) investments and (iii) research interests in the Middle East region, especially in Israel.

28 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what is the expected impact of the Gaza conflict on Singapore's (i) economic growth and (ii) energy prices.

29 Mr Don Wee asked the Minister for Defence what are the lessons that Singapore can draw from the ongoing violence in Israel.

30 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Defence with regard to the surprise attacks and major incursions into Israeli territory by Hamas, what lessons can be drawn for Singapore's security and intelligence apparatus.

31 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the major surge in violence in the Middle East (a) whether there has been an increased rhetoric or activities by extremist groups in the Southeast Asian region in weeks since the incursions by Hamas into Israel; and (b) what are the precautions for Singaporeans to take in light of this.

32 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Home Affairs with the spread of violence in the Middle East (a) whether the Ministry has received reports of increased anti-Semitic rhetoric or inter-religious disagreements online and offline; (b) what is the Ministry doing to ensure that inflammatory language coming out of the conflict areas does not spill over into the local community; and (c) how can the local community continue to preserve the harmony in Singapore.

33 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the evolving situation in Gaza (a) whether the authorities are stepping up their counter-terrorism monitoring measures; and (b) whether any spike in suspicious activities has been detected, including those in the online space, that could pose as a terrorist threat.

34 Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi asked the Minister for National Development (a) over the last three years, what is the number of applications for use of the Speakers' Corner for events; (b) how many are rejected and for what reasons; (c) whether the restriction of public assemblies and events relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict at the Speakers' Corner is due to time-sensitivity given the recency of this conflict; and (d) whether this restriction will be lifted in the future.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, Question Nos 1 to 34 on the Order Paper relate to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. As these queries relate to the same subject matter as the upcoming Motion on "Solidarity, Security and Peace – the Israel-Hamas Conflict", which would be debated later today, I would like to seek your permission, Sir, on behalf of all the respective Ministers to whom the Parliamentary Questions have been directed, to provide answers to the questions during the debate on the Motion.

Given the strong public interest on this topic, we can expect Members to raise a similar range of questions and supplementary questions during the debate on the Motion. As there is obviously a lot of overlap, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the other Ministries, will provide a response to the queries on the Order Paper during the debate on the Motion, in order to address them completely and holistically.

Any Member who wishes to seek clarifications on the Government's response may also do so during the debate on the Motion. I seek your permission, Sir.

Mr Speaker: I give my consent.