President Dr Lazarus Chakwera is calling for the safety of over 300 Malawians living in and on religious pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel.
This follows the war in middle East between Israel and Hamas, an Islamist organisation outlawed by US and other European countries as a terrorist organisation.
Hamas attacked Israel last week, Killing 1200 Israelis and kidnapping close to 200 Israelis, prompting Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war against Hamas in Gaza.
Writing on his face book wall on Tuesday, President Chakwera calls for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages recently kidnapped by Hamas, the cessation of violence by all parties, the end of military action against known civilian targets in Gaza, and the opening up of corridors for the supply of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.
He also calls on the international community to facilitate a credible path to lasting peace and security between Israel and Palestine, a path that is more sustainable than the continuation of the existing painful blockade and statelessness that the Palestinian people have been living under for decades and which various armed groups in Palestine have used as a pretext for launching inhumane terrorist attacks against Israel.
"Over the past few days, I have been monitoring the developing and escalating state of war between Israeli forces and Hamas, and I am deeply concerned about the welfare of civilians there, including the safety of over 300 Malawians living in Israel," Chakwera says.
He says as a long-time ally and friend of Israel, Malawi unequivocally condemns the recent terrorist attack against unarmed civilians and the ongoing captivity of civilians by Hamas.
He says under his administration, Malawi will always stand with Israel and support its pursuit of peaceful coexistence with its neighbours.
In retaliation, Israel has struck Gaza with military missiles, killing about 2500 Palestinians, put Gaza under siege without water, electricity and fuel and the military is on standby ready to invade Gaza.
US President Joe Biden is expected in Israel Wednesday this week in a bid to bring peace in the middle east.
