‘Don’t forget them’: Halimah Yacob asks public not to forget Palestinians amid Israel-Iran tensions

SINGAPORE: Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob has urged the public not to forget the plight of Palestinians, amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. “Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli soldiers and continue to starve. Don’t forget them,” she wrote in a Facebook post on Monday (16 June). Her remarks came just days after Israel confirmed it had carried out multiple strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military targets, claiming that Tehran possessed enough nuclear material to produce bombs within days. In retaliation, Iran launched a large-scale missile assault on Israel on 13 June, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles at several locations, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. Palestinians fear that the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran could divert global attention away from the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. A retired UN official told The New York Times that the Israel-Iran conflict risks undermining critical efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

Consistent advocate for Palestinians

This is not the first time Halimah has spoken out in support of Palestinians. The former president has consistently condemned the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza since the conflict escalated last year. She previously criticised the severely limited aid deliveries into the enclave, describing them as a mere “trickle” of supplies—far short of what is necessary to prevent mass starvation. Halimah also condemned Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, highlighting reports of forced displacement and violations of international law. In February, she criticised US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians be resettled outside Gaza, describing the proposal as a “clear violation of international law” and comparing it to the 1948 Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Earlier this month, Halimah expressed alarm over reports of Palestinians being shot while trying to collect food at aid distribution centres in Gaza, describing the incidents as “cruel and dehumanising”.

Ongoing crisis in Gaza

Since the end of May, humanitarian aid in Gaza has largely been distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-registered non-profit supervised by the Israeli military. However, the United Nations has refused to take part in the operation, saying it does not meet its core principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independence. On 15 June, GHF said it had distributed 36,000 food boxes, amounting to over 2.1 million meals. However, violence near these aid distribution sites has continued. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli troops killed at least 70 Palestinians and wounded hundreds as they sought aid in Gaza on Tuesday (17 June), using tank shells, machine guns, and drones. Those casualties were among the 89 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across the enclave since dawn. Israeli soldiers reportedly opened fire on desperate civilians gathered along the main eastern road in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. On Tuesday (17 June), UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killing of Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza, calling it “unacceptable”. His spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said Guterres urged an immediate, independent investigation into the incident and accountability for those responsible. Reports indicated that more than 300 people have been killed and over 2,000 wounded while attempting to collect aid from GHF since it began operations in Gaza in late May.

Death toll surpasses 55,000

Meanwhile, efforts at the UN Security Council to implement a ceasefire have once again been blocked by the United States. On 5 June, a proposed resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access was vetoed by Washington. Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the draft was “unacceptable” as it failed to explicitly condemn Hamas and labelled the resolution “imbalanced”. “The United States has been clear — we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza,” Shea said, adding that Hamas had already rejected several ceasefire proposals, including one offered just days earlier. She argued that adopting the resolution would “reward intransigence” and jeopardise delicate negotiations aimed at ending hostilities and securing the release of Israeli hostages. Since the outbreak of the conflict on 7 October 2023, the Palestinian health ministry has reported that more than 55,400 people have been killed, including at least 17,400 children, with over 129,000 injured.