Bogor, W Java (ANTARA) - The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), Indonesia, has expressed its condolence over the demise of noted Palestinian freedom fighter and veteran negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, on November 10, 2020 at the age of 65.

Chief Presidium of MER-C, Indonesia, Sarbini Abdul Murad, posted a condolence message to the government and people of Palestine and Dr. Erekat’s family on the Jakarta-based humanitarian organization's official Instagram account, which was accessed by ANTARA on Friday.

"May Allah the Almighty forgive him, bless him with mercy and rest his soul in jannah (heaven)," Murad wrote.

Dr. Erekat's contribution and dedication to the fight for Palestine's freedom and rights as well as peace in the Middle East would remain in everyone’s minds, he added.

Born in Abu Dis, Palestine, on April 28, 1955, Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat rose in prominence as a Palestinian political figure, serving as secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

According to the BBC, he breathed his last at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he was being treated for COVID-19 since October, 2020.

To honor Erekat, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declared three days of national mourning, it reported.

Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2020