Jakarta. The conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas was high on the agenda during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent bilateral talks with Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. 

Jokowi told the Saudi leader that the world needs to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from growing in severity as civilian casualties continue to climb. 

“It is time for the world to stand up together to stop the escalation. prioritize the humanitarian issues, and address the root cause of the problem in line with the agreed international parameters,” Jokowi told Mohammed on Thursday local time, as quoted by a recent press release.

Jokowi also expressed outrage over the deteriorating condition in Palestine. He reaffirmed Indonesia’s strong condemnation against all forms of attack, including the Israeli airstrike on a Gaza Hospital.

“Indonesia strongly condemns the Israeli attack over the Al Ahly Hospital in Gaza that has killed hundreds of civilians,” Jokowi also told Mohammed.

Prior to the meeting, Jokowi already issued a recorded statement over the deadly blast at the hospital. He had also appointed his top diplomat Retno Marsudi to leave Beijing early to attend an emergency meeting between her counterparts at the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.

“Indonesia will not stand still to the rising civilian casualties. Indonesia will not stand still to the ongoing injustice against the Palestinians,” Jokowi said in the recorded statement.

A massive explosion that tore through the Gaza hospital on Tuesday local time has sparked global outrage. Palestinian officials reported that at least 500 people had died in the blast. 

Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike for the blast. The Israeli military put the blame on Islamic Jihad, a smaller, more radical Palestinian militant group that often works with Hamas, the Associated Press wrote. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) over the weekend, Israel had issued repeated orders for the evacuation of 22 hospitals treating over 2,000 inpatients in northern Gaza. The WHO even said forcing the patients to relocate was tantamount to a “death sentence”. Likewise, Foreign Minister Retno called the evacuation orders “inhumane and contrary to the international humanitarian law”. 

“The Palestinian cause is the main reason for the OIC’s existence. If there is a time for the OIC to prove its cause, there is no other time than now. We must act together now,” Retno said in a press statement on Wednesday.

“Do not let this situation be used by Israel and other countries to wipe out the issue of Palestine, to wipe out Palestinians’ right to exist, and do not let Israel complete occupation against the land of Palestinians,” Retno said.

Jokowi is currently in Riyadh to attend the meeting between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- a political and economic alliance that brings together the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Jokowi flew to Riyadh right after concluding his working visit in Beijing.