JAKARTA: Indonesia has strongly denounced the lethal assaults by Israel on a United Nations facility providing refuge to displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza region. The Khan Younis Training Center, housing thousands seeking shelter, witnessed at least 12 fatalities and 75 injuries following an Israeli shelling on Wednesday.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condemnation, stating, “Indonesia strongly condemns Israel’s attack on UN refugee facilities in Khan Younis, Gaza, resulting in the loss of lives.”
The ministry further emphasized that this incident compounds the series of Israel’s violations of international law.
Thomas White, the Gaza director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, highlighted the ongoing disregard for fundamental principles of international humanitarian law in Khan Younis.
The training center, one of UNRWA’s largest shelters, had its coordinates shared with Israeli authorities, according to UN officials.
White issued a statement deeming persistent attacks on civilian sites in Khan Younis as unacceptable, emphasizing the urgent need for cessation.
He expressed concern over the intensified fighting around hospitals and shelters hosting the displaced, hindering life-saving operations.
The displacement of 1.7 million Palestinians over the past three months due to daily Israeli bombardment has led many to seek shelter inside or near UN facilities. The agency’s figures indicate that at least 335 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,100 injured during this period.
Calling for the protection of civilians, White reminded all parties that international law explicitly mandates safeguarding hospitals, clinics, medical personnel, and UN premises. Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, a fervent advocate for Palestine, urged the UN Security Council to uphold international law without exceptions.
She demanded accountability from Israel if found responsible for atrocities in Gaza, emphasizing that no nation is above the law.
Indonesia, known for its steadfast support for Palestine, has consistently advocated for Palestinian rights in various international forums.
Foreign Minister Marsudi is scheduled to present legal arguments challenging Israel’s occupation of Palestine at a public hearing held by the International Court of Justice next month.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
