JAKARTA – Asean unity was put into practice in the past week, when countries in South-east Asia worked hand-in-hand to explore negotiations for the release of hostages and to evacuate their citizens in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Despite divided opinion in the region, with Muslim-majority nations blaming Israel for the conflict and others upholding its right to defend itself, experts The Straits Times spoke to said that the spirit of cooperation within Asean has endured.