Foreign ministers of the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN have expressed “grave concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza”.

In a joint communique released after a meeting in Laos, the ministers condemned “all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, which have resulted in the alarming number of casualties, particularly women and children, the restricted access to food, water, and other basic needs, leading to the further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza”.

They also called for a ceasefire in the besieged and bombarded territory as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all captives.

According to Al Jazeera, the ministers urged “rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need, including through increased capacity at border crossings, including by sea”.

They also called for “all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights law”.