Asean urges de-escalation of Hamas-Israel conflict

KUALA LUMPUR: Asean member countries and Turkiye are among the nations that have called for an immediate end to the violence that broke out following clashes between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israeli forces.

The Indonesian government had expressed concern over the escalation of the armed conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Both sides were urged to end the violence immediately to avoid more casualties.

Indonesia stressed the importance of solving the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said, as reported by Tempo.co.

“The Israeli occupation, which is definitely the root cause of the prolonged conflict, must be resolved in accordance with parameters to which the United Nations has agreed,” the ministry said.

Turkiye’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that it was deeply concerned about the violence.

“We attach high importance to the restoration of calm in the region as soon as possible, and strongly condemn the loss of civilian lives.

“We underline that acts of violence and associated escalations will not benefit anyone, and call on the parties to act with restraint and avoid impulsive steps,” the ministry said.

It also stated that Turkiye was ready to contribute to the best of its abilities to ensure that these developments would be under control before they escalate further and spread to a wider area.

“These sad developments once again show the importance of the two-state solution vision. We call on the parties to renounce the use of force and work for a lasting solution in line with this vision without further delay,” it said.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin called for the difficult situation to end soon.

“In light of (Saturday’s) tragic incident involving the deployment of unmanned combat aircraft and rockets from the Gaza Strip, the Thai government and I extend our deepest condolences to the government and the people of Israel.

“We strongly condemn this attack, which has tragically resulted in loss of innocent lives and injury to civilians,” he tweeted, adding that they were concerned for the safety of all foreigners, including Thai nationals.

He said they were in close contact with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and protection of Thai citizens in Israel.

Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian group Hamas yesterday, 24 hours after a surprise attack in which at least 500 people were killed in the deadliest day of violence in the region in 50 years.

At least 256 Palestinians were killed with more than 1,700 injured.

The Philippines also condemned the escalation of fighting, saying that it was against such attacks, especially against civilian populations.

“The Philippines understands the right of states to self-defence in light of external aggression as recognised in the United Nations Charter,” it said.

In a Facebook post, the Office of the President of the Philippines said the country conveyed its “deepest sympathies and condolences to those who have lost family members and loved ones”.

In a separate statement, the Presidential Communications Office said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had instructed the government to closely coordinate with the embassy in Tel Aviv and the Migrant Workers Office in Israel to help Filipinos affected by the conflict.

The two offices have been directed to locate and account for all overseas Filipino workers and their families in Israel.