ASEAN and Gulf Cooperation Council Leaders "Condemn Attacks on Civilians... Call for Ceasefire"

Leaders of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) expressed concern over the war situation in the Gaza Strip through a joint statement.

The leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries and the 6 GCC countries issued a joint statement on the 20th (local time) at the GCC-ASEAN Summit held in Saudi Arabia, condemning "all attacks on civilians and calling for a sustainable ceasefire."

The leaders urged ensuring the most effective and efficient access for the restoration of electricity and water supply across the Gaza Strip, as well as the smooth delivery of fuel, food, and medicines. They also emphasized that all parties to the conflict must comply with the principles and provisions of the Geneva Conventions on the protection of civilians during war and immediately release civilian hostages and detainees, especially women, children, patients, and the elderly, unconditionally. Furthermore, they called on all relevant parties to strive for a peaceful resolution based on the pre-1967 borders (known as the Green Line) in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Southeast Asia is the region with the highest number of casualties outside of Israel and Palestine in this war. This is because many Southeast Asian workers are employed in Israel and nearby kibbutzim (collective farms) in the Gaza Strip. As of the 18th, 30 Thais have died in this war, and 4 Filipinos have also died. According to major foreign media, among the hostages currently held by Hamas, 17 are Thai, the highest number among foreigners. Additionally, 10 Indonesians and 5 Malaysians are stranded in the Gaza Strip.

Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, issued a presidential statement on the 17th after a hospital in the Palestinian Gaza Strip was bombed, warning that "Indonesia will not stand by and watch as more civilians die while witnessing the ongoing injustice against the Palestinian people."

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, more than 1,000 people gathered after Friday prayers on the 20th to protest against Israel and marched to the Indian and U.S. embassies in Indonesia. In Malaysia, where Islam is the state religion, protests condemning Israel have been held daily. Indonesia and Malaysia, as Islamic brother countries, support the independence of Palestine and have such poor relations with Israel that they do not even maintain diplomatic ties.