JAKARTA, Feb 23 – Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi highlighted Gaza issues while condemning Israel for its atrocities in the Palestinian enclave during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday (February 21).
“It is critical for the G20 to spotlight these issues, considering that all members of the UN Security Council are part of the G20,” she said in a press statement received from her office on Thursday, reported ANTARA news agency.
She stressed that nothing can justify Israel’s unlawful acts during its aggression on Gaza that has been going on for 138 days, leading to the deaths of over 29,000 Palestinians, including women and children.
“I firmly told the G20 states that this has gone beyond humanitarian disaster, as it has become a geopolitical nightmare. Moreover, the impacts of the war have spread and are posing threats to global stability and security,” she stated.
The minister also spoke of having outlined multilateral measures required to put an end to the crises in Gaza, including pushing for the placement of a lasting ceasefire by any means necessary.
“This (ceasefire) will be a fundamental game-changer to stop the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis as well as pave the way to a conducive situation towards negotiations on the implementation of the two-state solution,” she said in her remarks.
The Indonesian minister also urged countries to avoid using double standards in relation to the issues in Palestine.
“I emphasised the need to deal with Palestinian issues in the same manner as we do with other issues. I urged G20 members against letting Israel destroy hospitals, schools, and refugee camps,” she said.
She called on G20 states to increase relief funding for Palestine while reminding them about the adverse impacts of technological developments on global security, noting that advanced technology can exacerbate armed conflicts.
“At the end of my speech, I underlined that G20 member states share the responsibility to contribute to the efforts in creating peace and maintaining stability in the world,” she said.
It should be noted that almost all delegates attending the G20 meeting expressed their concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, she pointed out.
