Jakarta. Indonesia once again made a strong-worded statement on the situation in Gaza, saying that Israel’s relentless bombardments on healthcare facilities have turned the Palestinian enclave into hell.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi recently attended the World Health Organization (WHO) executive board session on the Gaza situation in Geneva. 

According to Retno, many hospitals in Gaza have gone out of service after the Israeli attacks, including the Indonesian-funded hospital. Only 13 out of the 36 hospitals in the area remain, and they are all operating up to three times above their capacity. Gaza today is grappling with an increase in infectious diseases, including acute respiratory infections and diarrhea. Hundreds of medical workers have been killed since Israel attacked Gaza.

“Israel has turned Gaza into hell. The death toll continues to rise. Hospitals are dealing with a fatal blow, including the Indonesian Hospital [in Gaza] which had to shut down its services on Nov. 16,” Retno said in a press statement, not long after the WHO executive board meeting on Sunday local time.

“Israel Defense Forces’ orders to have medical supplies moved from Khan Younis to a smaller warehouse in Rafah is a major violation of international law and human rights,” Retno said.

Indonesia urged Israel to respect Gazans’ rights to healthcare. In response to the overwhelmed healthcare facilities, Indonesia will send a hospital ship to Gaza. Jakarta has also sent some humanitarian assistance comprising much-needed supplies.

Protecting all healthcare workers and facilities is pivotal to addressing the situation in Gaza, according to Retno.

She added: “The international humanitarian law must be respected and upheld. Indonesia calls for accountability and justice on all sorts of attacks against the medical workers and facilities in Gaza.”

“We need to mobilize more support for the WHO. This is crucial so WHO and UNRWA [the UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees] can do their work in Gaza. Indonesia also supports the WHO to hold a donors conference to help fund and rebuild Palestine’s healthcare system,” the minister said.

It has been 65 days since the fighting between Israeli forces and militant group Hamas escalated on Oct. 7. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 17,177 people, including 7,112 children, had been killed ever since, the Al-Jazeera reported on Friday.

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