Indonesia’s foreign minister set to visit Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will pay a three-day visit to Türkiye starting Wednesday to discuss the situation in Gaza with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“During the talks between Minister Fidan and Minister Marsudi on 1 May 2024, bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in Gaza, will be discussed,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, indicating that Türkiye will continue its outreach to other countries to press Israel to agree to a cease-fire and hostage deal.

Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,700 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.