Asean Ministers Condemn Israeli Attacks in Gaza

Gaza, VIVA – Top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Saturday condemned Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which have led to the killing of more than 39,000 Palestinians since October.

In a joint communique of its summit in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, the foreign ministers of ASEAN also expressed grave concern about the humanitarian situation in the blockaded enclave.

"We condemned all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, which have resulted in the alarming number of casualties, particularly women and children, the restricted access to food, water, and other basic needs, leading to the further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the declaration said, as quoted from Anadolu Ajansi site.

They urged all relevant parties for a cease-fire and release of hostages in Gaza.

The final declaration commended the efforts of various ASEAN members in providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and reiterated the support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

"We called for rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need, including through increased capacity at border crossings, including by sea," it said.

The bloc urged all parties concerned to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict with a view to realizing the two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The statement said the officials also acknowledged last week's ICJ advisory opinion on occupied Palestinian territories, saying that the UN should consider further action to end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of Israel in East Jerusalem and West Bank.