TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia strongly condemns the attack by Israeli soldiers to Palestinians who were rallying on the border of Gaza and Israel. As a result, dozens of Palestinians died and hundreds were wounded.
In a written statement on Saturday, March 31, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the government and people of Indonesia expressed the deep sorrow and solidarity to the victims and their families as a result of the Israeli attack. Indonesia affirmed that the Israeli government has the responsibility under international human rights and humanitarian law to protect the civilians.
"The Indonesian government urges a thorough investigation of the excessive use of violence and for the result to be fully published. Because the impact of violence and cruelty by the Israeli army continues to pose a threat to the peace efforts in Palestine and the Middle East region," Nasir said.
Quoted from the Edition.cnn.com on Saturday, March 31, at least 17 Palestinian civilians were killed and over 1,400 were wounded in a clash with Israeli security forces at the protest in Gaza on Friday, March 30.
The Israeli government said about 10,000 Palestinians were staging a protest on the fence of the Gaza-Israel border region. It was called The Return Parade, which is expected to last until May 15 or during the Nakba memorial, the day when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven out by the war.
The rally on Friday, March 30, quickly turned into a bloodbath as Palestinians and the Israeli military clashed along the border fence. CNN report said, in the northern region of Gaza at least dozens of people were entered into the ambulances when the rally started 30 minutes along Gaza.
The eyewitnesses said that some demonstrators threw stones. People were injured by the live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas from the Israeli military forces. The majority who suffered injuries were young men and a woman.
TEMPO.CO