January 23, 2025
JAKARTA – Indonesia’s senior diplomat has called the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to make haste on securing lasting peace in Gaza following the truce between Israeli forces and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Second Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir made the statement during the UNSC’s first quarterly open debate on the Middle East, in New York, the United States.
“The ceasefire is a vital first step toward obtaining peace in the Middle East,” he said on Monday New York time in the event that was broadcast on the UN website. “The UNSC must safeguard the agreement so that every phase [of the agreement] is upheld. The council must help break the cycle of violence.”
He noted that illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have been expanding with growing violence and impunity.
He said that “a just and comprehensive political plan with a two-state solution at its core” was the only way to achieve lasting peace in Gaza. He was referring to the creation of two independent states of Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security.
The first phase of the ceasefire that was negotiated with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the US took effect on Sunday and is expected to last six weeks. The three-stage ceasefire is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalized.
Read also: Indonesia welcomes Gaza ceasefire deal, urges reconstruction
Indonesia, Arrmanatha said, fully supported the call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a sustained humanitarian relief during the ceasefire and the reconstruction of the war-torn enclave.
“Humanitarian aid must flow freely and without obstruction in a sustained manner. Humanitarian workers must be fully allowed to operate safely,” Arrmanatha said.
“The role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees [UNRWA] is indispensable in these efforts. [And] the Security Council must shield the agency from persistent threats and misinformation campaigns.”
Read also: Indonesia condemns Israel’s ban of UNRWA
The ceasefire came when two Israeli laws aimed at ending UNRWA work in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, are due to take effect next week.
The day the truce began, the UN said the first 630 trucks carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid had entered Palestinian territory, AFP reported.
Yet Guterres told the Monday open debate of the Security Council that the UN still faces “significant obstacles, challenges and constraints”. He said the UN, aid groups and the private sector need rapid, safe and unimpeded access, Reuters reported.
“Visas, permits and other enabling conditions must be in place quickly to allow a surge of desperately needed relief,” he said. “We require the necessary technical, protective and communications equipment.”
Read also: Jakarta ‘never heard’ of Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans to Indonesia
Guterres said Israel and Hamas must coordinate with the UN in a timely and effective manner so it can do its humanitarian work. “This also includes the restoration of public order and safety to prevent the looting of humanitarian supplies,” he added.
The open debate was chaired by Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, in his capacity as the UNSC president this month.