KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged the Western world on Sunday to stop manipulating international media to promote "inaccurate narratives" about the ongoing war in Gaza.

Speaking at the inauguration of the All-Malaysian Mosque Summit for Al-Aqsa and Palestine in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar emphasized that the West does not need to lecture the Muslim world on "democracy, human rights, and sustainable development," according to the state-run Bernama news agency.

The summit, organized by the Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations of Malaysia, saw the participation of around 700 representatives from mosques and NGOs, foreign ambassadors, scholars, and observers from various countries.

Anwar also criticized the Western narrative that frames the unrest in Palestine as beginning with the Hamas attack on October 7, arguing that the conflict has deep roots dating back to 1948.

“We need to be clear and not let Western countries dictate the narrative, starting from October 7,” Anwar said.

“The ongoing destruction in Palestine has been occurring since 1948, exacerbated by the direct invasion of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969. Now, the destruction continues—whether it’s infrastructure or human lives—and it amounts to genocide.”

He reiterated Malaysia's commitment to barring companies registered with Israel from operating in the country, noting that despite the previous government's strong opposition to Israel's actions, it still allowed direct trade with such companies.

As Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, the death toll has reached 40,405 since the October 7 conflict, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel has continued its offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The ongoing blockade has resulted in severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6. — Agencies