April 17, 2025 | 03:46 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Defense is awaiting instructions from President Prabowo Subianto regarding the planned temporary evacuation of 1,000 Gaza residents to Indonesia. The ministry said that it is ready to implement the President’s orders, including preparing recovery facilities if requested.
"So far, we have not received direct instructions from the President. However, whatever the President directs the Ministry of Defense or the Indonesian National Army (TNI) to do, we are prepared to execute," said Kemhan's Head of Defense Information Bureau Brigadier General Frega Wenas Inkiriwang, when met at his office on Wednesday, April 16.
The temporary evacuation of Palestinians from Gaza was revealed by President Prabowo during a press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase, Jakarta, on April 9, 2025, prior to his departure to Abu Dhabi, UAE. President Prabowo stated that Indonesia is ready to accommodate approximately 1,000 Palestinians from Gaza, especially those who are injured, traumatized, or orphaned.
“We are prepared to send planes to transport them. We estimate the first wave will consist of around 1,000 people,” said the President, as reported by Antaranews. He emphasized that the plan could only proceed upon receiving the "green light" from the Palestinian authorities, involved parties, and once the necessary conditions are met.
The President has instructed Foreign Minister Sugiono to discuss the evacuation mechanism with the Palestinian government. However, Prabowo outlined two conditions for the Gaza evacuation. First, all parties must agree on the plan. Second, the evacuees will only stay temporarily in Indonesia and must return once they have recovered and the situation in Gaza improves.
Frega Wenas explained that such decisions cannot be made unilaterally as they involve foreign policy and require coordination with other countries. If Indonesia were to assist Gaza residents, for example, in recovery, negotiations with other nations would be necessary. "The leading sector for this is, of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said.
Frega reaffirmed that the Ministry of Defense will await official directives from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President Prabowo before taking any further action. “We are waiting for the decision, and once it is set, we are ready,” he stated.
In a separate statement, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs General (Ret.) Budi Gunawan mentioned that no concrete steps have been taken regarding the temporary evacuation of Gaza residents to Indonesia. He also stated that they are still awaiting direct instructions from President Prabowo.
Budi indicated that a limited meeting would likely be held to discuss the plan for the Gaza evacuation. “The President will gather the ministers and provide guidance,” Budi said when met at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta on Tuesday, following Prabowo’s return from his overseas trip on Wednesday, April 16.
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