Israel should end its occupation in Palestine: Indonesia

Jakarta, July 22 (ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi urged Israel to immediately end its illegal occupation in Palestine territories, following the historic legal resolution issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday (July 19).

Based on the ICJ resolution, Indonesia emphasized that Israel must end the construction of illegal settlements and evacuate all Jewish inhabitants as soon as possible.

Israel is also responsible for reparations in the form of restitution and compensation, including returning land taken since 1967 and allowing all Palestinians who were expelled from their homes to return.

"In line with the legal resolution, Indonesia urges the General Assembly and the UN Security Council to fulfill the Court's request to take appropriate steps to end Israel's illegal presence in Palestine," Marsudi stated in a written statement from her office on Sunday (July 21).

In this legal resolution, the Court has enforced rules based international orders by determining the illegal status of Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

"Therefore, Indonesia supports the Court's view that all countries and the UN do not recognize the situation resulting from Israel's illegal existence," she added.

The Court's stipulation of a legal resolution is considered as the first step towards realizing complete Palestinian independence.

"This legal resolution shows that international law sides with the struggle of the Palestinian people," the minister remarked.

In fact, Israel is still an occupying power in the occupied Palestinian territory along with their ongoing violations, according to the ICJ.

Marsudi mentioned that Palestinians, especially those in Gaza, are still the target of Israeli military attacks.

"Indonesia once again calls on Israel to take responsibility as an occupying power to fulfill the basic rights of Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territories, in line with the decision of the Court's legal resolution," she emphasized.

In parallel, Indonesia will invite the international community and the UN to jointly follow up on the legal resolution and give recognition of the existence of the State of Palestine.