"Indonesia will ask the ASEAN to issue a strong statement regarding what happened in Gaza," Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will raise the issue of Israels military attack in Gaza, Palestine, in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to be held in Nayppyidaw, Myanmar, on August 9-10, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa stated on Tuesday.

"Indonesia will ask the ASEAN to issue a strong statement regarding what happened in Gaza," Marty noted.

According to him, the situation in Gaza is drawing greater concern due to the rising number of civilian casualties as a result of Israels military attack in the area.

"Not only are the number of casualties a matter of concern for us, but also the nature of the casualties that are mostly children, babies, old people, and women," Marty pointed out.

According to Xinhua news agency that quoted Palestinian sources, the total number of Palestinians killed in Israels military operation in Gaza that began on July 8 has risen to 1,849.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for "utmost restraint" after Israel and Hamas agreed to begin a new 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire on Tuesday in their bloody, month-old conflict.

The breakthrough came during talks in Cairo on Monday, just days after a similar three-day agreement to let the guns fall silent collapsed in a deadly wave of violence within hours of starting on Friday.

Ban urged both sides to "commence, as soon as possible, talks in Cairo on a durable ceasefire and the underlying issues," his office stated hours after the announcement was made.

"In this regard, he welcomes the proactive engagement of the Palestinian delegation under the leadership of President Abbas," according to his office.

The bloodshed, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 1.8 thousand Palestinians, 64 Israeli soldiers, and three civilians in Israel, has led to escalating tensions in the region and drew strong criticism for the Jewish state.

Talks between the two sides are "the only way to sustainably stop the violence, which has cost far too many lives," Ban stated, assuring the "full support" of the UN.

Envoys from 193 member countries are scheduled to meet in a full UN General Assembly on Wednesday to hear reports from top officials on the crisis.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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