Najib to enter Gaza for humanitarian visit

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, were expected to enter Gaza, the home of 1.7 million Palestinians, for a humanitarian visit this morning.

Najib who was expected to enter Gaza at 10 am local time, was the first Malaysian Prime Minister to set foot on Palestine.

The Prime Minister, who is on an official working visit to Egypt, and his wife arrived in Cairo at 9 pm local time last night.

In Gaza, Najib was scheduled to visit a Malaysian-funded school, Al Madrasah Al Malaziah, before visiting the site for the construction of the new office for

Palestine's Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh. The old office was destroyed during an Israeli attack in November, last year.

The Prime Minister's press secretary, Datuk Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad, said Najib would also meet Palestine cabinet members and members of Parliament.

Then, Najib and Rosmah would attend a luncheon hosted by Ismail at Movenpick Hotel before visiting Al-Aqsa University, where Najib would be conferred an honorary doctorate degree.

After receiving his doctorate, Najib would depart to Cairo to pay a courtesy call on Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Meanwhile on a separate programme, Rosmah is scheduled to visit Nasser Hospital for Children, in Gaza.

At the hospital, Rosmah is expected to pledge a RM4 million Malaysian donation for the hospital as well as meet gifted children, there.