TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto plans to evacuate 1,000 Gaza residents to Indonesia. He is set to visit five Middle Eastern countries, namely the UAE, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan, to seek their support.
Prabowo stressed that the evacuation would only proceed with the consent of all involved parties, including those currently providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
"The condition is that all parties must agree to this. Second, they will only stay here temporarily until they recover, and when Gaza is in a condition that allows it, they must return to their places of origin. I think that is the stance of the Indonesian Government," said President Prabowo during a press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, before departing to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, early Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
"Therefore, I need to consult with the leaders of those regions."
He explains that he deliberately went directly to these five countries to consult with their leaders. He admits to receiving continuous phone calls and envoys inquiring about Indonesia's readiness to help the situation in Gaza.
"This is not a simple issue, but Indonesia's commitment to ensuring the safety of the Palestinian people and supporting their independence, I believe, calls for a more active role from our government," Prabowo said as quoted by Antara.
He also mentioned that the plan is a follow-up to the request from the international community, which sees Indonesia's need to play a more active role. This is because Indonesia is a non-aligned country and has the world's largest Muslim population.
"Indonesia is seen as acceptable by all conflicting parties. I believe this position indeed gives us a responsibility, and that's why I convey that Indonesia is ready, if requested by all parties, to play a role. We are ready to act according to Indonesia's capacity and capabilities," said Prabowo.
Prabowo states that Indonesia is ready to accommodate approximately 1,000 Palestinian citizens from Gaza in the first wave. Those accommodated will mainly be those who have suffered injuries, trauma, and orphaned children.
"We are ready to send aircraft to transport them. We estimate the number to be 1,000 for the first wave," he said.
The plan will be further discussed with the Palestinian Government. Prabowo has appointed Foreign Minister Sugiono to discuss with the Palestinian authorities.
Indonesia has sent aid in the form of food, medical equipment, medicine, clothing, and clean water to the people of Palestine in Gaza.
The aid was distributed through Egypt and directly deployed by air in cooperation with the Jordanian Air Force.
Indonesia has also dispatched its hospital ship, KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat, to dock for several months in El Arish and treat war victims from Gaza.
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