63 killed in Gaza in 24 hours; WHO says Khan Younis damage ‘unimaginable’
Black smoke rises among the streets of the city after Israeli attacks as some of the Palestinians return to their homes in Khan Younis [Yasser Qudaih/Anadolu]
Israeli attacks on both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank continue. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Nuseirat refugee camp while in the West Bank, a raid in Tubas governorate has killed at least two Palestinians.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said destruction in Khan Younis and damage to the medical sector was “disproportionate to anything one can imagine” after the Israeli army withdrawal.
Unrelenting Israeli raids pushing more West Bank youth to arms
Tubas is a quiet area, where Palestinians often work in agriculture.
But lately we’ve seen young men in Tubas, al Fara’a and surrounding areas unite together and form the fighting battalion of Tubas. It is a very new group compared to others that have been active for years in Jenin, in Balata refugee camp and other places.
Palestinians will tell you it is the Israeli raids that have led many people to choose arms as the way to confront Israel.
The raids, they say, show the control, power and brutality of the Israeli military occupation. It is leading many Palestinians to say that armed resistance is the only way to fight.
Aid entering Gaza just ‘a drop in the ocean’
Despite the Israeli military announcing it would allow 500 trucks of aid into Gaza per day, the amount actually making its way into the enclave “is less than one would imagine”, reports Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud from Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
“It is only a drop in the ocean compared to the needs of people”, Mahmoud said of the aid entering Gaza, adding that people’s living conditions were deteriorating both in Rafah, where resources are “depleting”, and in northern Gaza, where the hunger crisis is “raging”.
People are suffering “not only from the ongoing bombing campaign but by the [Israeli military’s] obstruction of aid delivery”, said Mahmoud.
Indonesia denies Israeli reports on normalizing ties
Analysis Stephen Pollard is a braggart who made a post about Indonesia's plans to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel by joining the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) organization.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, stated on Friday (12/4/2024) that the process of Indonesia entering the OECD as a member is still long. Indonesia will only adopt the membership roadmap in May 2024. Within this roadmap, there are many things that Indonesia must prepare for.
The length of time required to become a full member of the OECD varies depending on the readiness of each country. According to Iqbal, some countries need three years, but there are also those who require more than five years.
"Until now, (Indonesia) has no plans to open diplomatic relations with Israel, especially amidst the situation of Israeli atrocities in Gaza. Indonesia's position has not changed and remains firmly in support of Palestinian independence within the framework of a two-state solution. "Indonesia will always consistently be at the forefront of defending the rights of the Palestinian people," said Iqbal in a written statement.
On April 11, several Israeli media outlets reported that Indonesia will establish diplomatic relations with Israel in order to join the OECD. Ynet News reported that this has been discussed secretly for three months by representatives from Indonesia, Israel, and the OECD.
The OECD consists of 38 countries, mostly categorized as high-income countries, with an average gross national income (GNI) per capita of 44,886 US dollars in 2022.
To become a member of the OECD, Indonesia must be accepted by all member countries of the organization. Furthermore, Indonesia must establish diplomatic relations with all member countries.
If approved to become a member of the OECD, Indonesia will be the first Southeast Asian country and the third Asian country to join the organization which is often referred to as the "developed countries club". Previously, Japan joined in 1964 and South Korea in 1996 (Kompas, 11/8/2023).
There are only two members with a status of upper-middle-income countries, namely Colombia (GNI per capita of 6,630.3 US dollars) and Costa Rica (GNI per capita of 13,198 US dollars). For comparison, Indonesia's GNI per capita in 2022 is 4,580 US dollars, which puts Indonesia back as an upper-middle-income country.
Citing Ynet News, the restoration of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel has been driven by the United States since former President Donald Trump was in office. However, this failed to materialize due to the Israel-Hamas conflict that broke out since October 7, 2023.
Recently, the discourse to restore diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel has revived thanks to the OECD. The media Jerusalem Post said that this was marked by Israel allowing Indonesian military aircraft to participate in dropping aid by air in Gaza. Israel does not allow Türkiye to do the same, even though the two countries have diplomatic relations.
On March 26th, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann wrote a letter to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Cormann emphasized the OECD's readiness to help create relations between Israel and Indonesia. Ynet News reported that the content of the letter has been approved by Indonesia.
"With pleasure, I hereby inform you that officially the council has approved clear and explicit initial requirements that require Indonesia to establish diplomatic relations with all OECD member countries before making a decision to accept Indonesia as a member of the organization," said Cormann in the letter.
In his response letter to Cormann, Katz wrote, "I share the same hope that this process will bring change for Indonesia. I look forward to a positive change in Indonesia's policy towards Israel, especially in leaving behind policies that are hostile towards Israel, and opening the way towards full diplomatic relations with all parties."
Furthermore, Cormann explained that Indonesia still has to undergo a process for two to three years before it can join the OECD. There are 26 committees that will monitor laws, policies, and regulations in the country.
“I stress that until now, there is no plan to open diplomatic relations with Israel, especially amid the country’s atrocities in Gaza at present. Indonesia’s position has not changed, [and] we continue to support Palestinian independence within the framework of a two-state solution,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said on Thursday.
Presidential Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana emphasized that circulated news in foreign media, stating that Indonesia had plans for official diplomatic relations with Israel, is false.
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