Malaysian PM visits Gaza for first time, boosting profile of territory's Hamas rulers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Malaysian prime minister is visiting the Gaza Strip, in a political boost for the territory's once internationally isolated rulers from the Islamic militant Hamas.
During his first-ever visit to the territory Tuesday, Najib Razak is meeting with Hamas politicians, touring sites bombed by Israeli forces and visiting a school funded by his majority-Muslim nation in Southeast Asia.
The West has branded Hamas, which seized Gaza in 2007, as a terror organization. The Arab Spring uprisings that brought Islamists to power in parts of the region also enabled Hamas to break out of its isolation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In October, the leader of resource-rich Qatar became the first head of state to visit Gaza. Hamas also forged closer ties in the past two years with regional powerhouses Egypt and Turkey.