"Indonesia (also) urges Israel to respect the rights of Gaza citizens to access health care," said Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi during a special session of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Executive Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday (December 10).
In her online press statement, she conveyed that Indonesia had dispatched humanitarian aid and would send a hospital ship to Gaza to help injured and sick civilians.
Marsudi then drew attention to the importance of protecting all health facilities and health workers in Gaza.
“International humanitarian law must be respected and enforced. Indonesia urges accountability and justice for all attacks on workers and medical facilities in Gaza," she emphasized.
Marsudi also highlighted the importance of increasing the mobilization of support for WHO, which is highly needed for the operation of the organization and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) programs in Gaza.
"Indonesia also supports WHO to hold a donors conference to finance and rebuild the Palestinian health system," she stated.
According to Marsudi, Indonesia's presence at the WHO Executive Board session is important to accentuate the criticality of improving health facilities and protecting health facilities and personnel, including the health facilities of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza.
The Executive Council is WHO's executive organ under the World Health Assembly that has 34 member countries, in which Indonesia also became a member in the 2018-2021 period.
The minister remarked that Indonesia had become a co-sponsor of the resolution regarding health conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
"In this closing statement, I convey that Indonesia was very disappointed that the UN Security Council once again failed to pass a resolution regarding a humanitarian ceasefire that would be able to reduce the suffering of the people of Gaza," she stated.
She noted that efforts must continue to be made to improve the situation in Gaza.
"We must not give up. Never give up," she emphasized.
Israel resumed military attacks on the Gaza Strip on December 1 after a one-week humanitarian pause ended.
Around 18,000 Palestinians were killed and more than 49,229 others were injured, while Israel lost 1,200 people from this conflict.
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Translator: Yashinta Difa P, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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