Jakarta. ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said Wednesday that he wanted to see the conflict in Gaza cool down as early as possible as the war continued to claim lives.

It has been more than 100 days since the bloody conflict in Gaza erupted on Oct. 7. At least 23,968 Palestinians have been killed since then, the Gaza Health Ministry recently reported. Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Kao expressed concerns over the “mind-boggling casualties”, which also included women and children.

“Those who are directly involved in this war should value human lives,” Kao told reporters.

“How much longer will this go on? Why does the international community allow this to continue to take place?” Kao said.

According to Kao, world leaders should use their influence to help start negotiations and end the conflict as early as possible.

He added: “At the end of the day, negotiation is the only option now.”

ASEAN leaders met with their Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) counterparts in Riyadh about a few weeks after the Gaza conflict intensified in early October. The summit resulted in a statement that condemned the attacks against civilians. The leaders called for both sides to work towards a two-state solution, which calls for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

“[The leaders] urge all parties concerned to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict with a view to realizing the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders in accordance with international law and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the ASEAN-GCC statement on the Gaza conflict reads.

Militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, fighting has ravaged the Gaza Strip. The war sparked rallies across the globe, including in Indonesia, that are in solidarity with Palestinians. Indonesia, who chaired the ASEAN grouping last year, has been assuming a pro-Palestinian stance. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is set to speak at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israeli occupation in Palestine next month.