PM Netanyahu Intends to Continue War, Foreign Minister Retno: I Can't Understand If the UNSC Ignores This Threat

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi attended the UN DK meeting to discuss the Gaza crisis. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi expressed her surprise at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that he wanted to continue the war after the ceasefire, wanting the UN Security Council to act so that violence does not happen again in Gaza.

Present at the UN Security Council meeting in New York, United States, Wednesday local time, the foreign ministers of a number of member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) again showed the organization's support for Palestine, as a follow-up to the mandate of the OIC Leadership at the Summit in Riyadh on November 11 , said Foreign Minister Retno.

In her speech when conveying Indonesia's national position at the UN Security Council meeting, Foreign Minister Retno said her presence was to be on the right side of history, defending justice and humanity.

"I am worried about the current situation in Gaza. I am also worried about the increasing attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. If the number of prisoners released by Israel is as many or more or less as many as new arrests in the West Bank, the question is what's the point?" said Foreign Minister Retno, in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thursday, November 30.

She further said that Indonesia welcomed the current ceasefire between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel.

"But the question is is this enough? Indonesia believes that this is not enough, because the humanitarian pause is still too narrow and fragile to really create a situation

"Gaza will be better on an ongoing basis," said Foreign Minister Retno.

On this occasion, Foreign Minister Retno also quoted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that he wanted to continue military operations with full force when the ceasefire in Gaza ended.

"I say that I cannot understand a statement like this. I also cannot understand if the UNSC allows this threat to humanity to eventually become a reality. The UNSC must be able to prevent violence from recurring in Gaza," stressed Foreign Minister Retno.

Yesterday, PM Netanyahu again expressed his intention to continue the war, after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel which has been in place for six days so far.

"There is no way we will not return to war until the end. This is my policy, the whole cabinet supports it, the whole government supports it, the army supports it, the people support it, this is the right thing," he said as quoted by Reuters.