TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi strongly denounced the Israeli citizens' blockade of humanitarian aid from the international community, including Indonesia, to Palestine in the Gaza Strip.

“I believe this is a systematic effort to obstruct humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Retno said after accompanying President Joko Jokowi Widodo to receive a state visit to the Bogor Presidential Palace, on Friday, May 17.

She stressed that the people in Gaza are in dire need of this humanitarian assistance. Indonesia called for action against the perpetrators. “We also call on the UN Security Council to prevent this from recurring. We also emphasize that the security of the aid delivery should be a priority so that it can be distributed without hitches,” said Retno.

On Monday, May 13, Israeli right-wing extremist groups again impeded aid trucks at the Tarqumiya crossing, destroying desperately needed humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. In videos circulating on social media, one of the supplies destroyed was instant noodles from Indonesia.

Israel's aggression against the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of over 35,100 Palestinians, predominantly women and children. According to the UN, the Israeli attack has displaced 85 percent of the Palestinian population, damaged 60 percent of infrastructure in Gaza, and caused severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Despite international pressure, the Israeli government persists in restricting the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians at risk of famine.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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