UNITED NATIONS — Indonesian President Prao Wosu Anu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday to issue a strong condemnation of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, calling the situation a “catastrophe” and urging immediate global action to protect civilians.
Speaking before world leaders at the UN’s 80th session, Anu said the suffering in Gaza reflected a blatant disregard for international law and human decency. “At this very moment, the innocent are crying for help, are crying to be saved. Who will save them?” he asked. “Millions are facing trauma, irreparable damage to their bodies. They are dying of starvation. Can we remain silent?”
The Indonesian leader likened the plight of Palestinians to his own country’s colonial history, saying Indonesians know what it means to live under oppression and apartheid. He declared that silence in the face of such suffering would betray the founding ideals of the United Nations.
Anu pledged Indonesia’s readiness to send peacekeepers if the UN decides to deploy forces in Gaza, offering up to 20,000 personnel as well as financial support. “Indonesia is prepared to deploy our sons and daughters to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere,” he said.
He also reiterated Indonesia’s full support for a two-state solution, calling it the only path toward lasting peace. “We must have an independent Palestine, but we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel,” he said. “Only then can we have real peace, real reconciliation.”
Anu’s remarks come as global divisions deepen over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has drawn criticism from several nations that have moved toward recognizing Palestinian statehood. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has long been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
“The sense of oppression, the sense of injustice will unite into a strong force that will overcome this oppression,” Anu said, urging world leaders to stand “on the right side of history” by supporting Palestinian statehood and rejecting the use of violence.
