KUALA LUMPUR: The first phase of Malaysia's Waqaf Water4Gaza project was rolled out on Friday with the distribution of 500,000 units of 1.5 liter bottles to Gaza, which has been hit hard by Israel's siege that has isolated the 1.5 million Palestinians residents for over five years. Their situation is unlikely to become any easier after an attack on an Egyptian border crossing on Sunday left 16 soldiers dead. The mock-up handing over ceremony saw Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) president Mahathir Mohamad to Sheikh Omar M.A Fora, Grand Imam of Gaza, who was in Kuala Lumpur for a program sponsored by the Palestinian Culture Organization-Malaysia, launch the water aid project. Speaking to reporters later, Mahathir said the project was the best way to show Malaysia's sympathy for the Gaza people for their predicament. “We are not sending the water from here, we are providing money to purchase the water in Gaza itself. Since this is the month of Ramadan, we would like to see them enjoying fresh water like us in Malaysia. “We enjoyed nice drinks during breaking-of-fast but this is denied in Gaza,” he said.
