Indonesia had received “many requests” to take a more active part in resolving the Gaza crisis, President Prabowo Subianto added without elaboration.
By JNS
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday that his country would be willing to fly out and temporarily host orphans and the wounded from the Gaza Strip.
“We will evacuate the wounded, orphans, and those traumatized [by the conflict]. Or anyone whom the Palestinian government and relevant parties believe should be evacuated to Indonesia,” said Subianto, according to the Jakarta Globe online newspaper.
The first phase would include 1,000 people, he added.
Prabowo made the announcement at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma airport before heading on a weeklong tour of the Middle East to talk with regional leaders about the Gaza crisis.
His first stop will be the United Arab Emirates. He will also visit Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan, according to the report.
Indonesia’s foreign minister would immediately travel to consult with the Palestinians and other “parties in that region regarding the implementation,” said Prabowo.
The Indonesian president specified, however that certain conditions would have to be met, including that all parties approve of the evacuation. He emphasized that the move would be temporary.
“The evacuees may only stay in Indonesia temporarily until they have recovered. They must return to where they come from once the situation in Gaza allows it,” said Prabowo, according to the Globe.
Indonesia had received “many requests” to take a more active part in resolving the Gaza crisis, he added without elaboration.
US President Donald Trump on Monday renewed his call to relocate Gazans who wish to leave to safer locales.
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Trump said that if the Gazans were moved to different countries, it would create “a freedom zone… a zone where people aren’t going to be killed every day.”
At the same meeting, Netanyahu added: “What the president is talking about is: give people a choice. What is wrong with giving people a choice?… Enabling the people of Gaza to really make a choice to go wherever they want?”
A senior Israeli diplomatic source told JNS last week that Israel was in “serious talks” with several countries to relocate large numbers of people out of the Gaza Strip, “not just dribs and drabs.”
Polls show they want to leave, the source said. “Even before Israel restarted military action [in Gaza], 60% said they wanted to leave – 40% of those don’t want to come back, and another 20% want to go but with the option to return. That’s more than 1 million people who say they want to leave,” he said.
On March 22, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Defense Minister Israel Katz’s proposal to establish a new directorate within the ministry to facilitate the voluntary emigration of residents from the Gaza Strip.
The newly formed directorate is tasked with overseeing the “safe and controlled passage of Gaza residents for their voluntary departure,” according to a statement from Katz’s office.
This includes managing logistics such as securing movement routes, processing individuals at designated crossings, and coordinating the necessary infrastructure to support travel by land, sea and air.
Katz emphasized that the initiative aligns with international law and Trump’s plan. “We are working with all means to implement the US president’s vision, and we will allow any Gaza resident who wants to move to a third state to do so,” said Katz.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently said that Jerusalem is actively developing a large-scale emigration plan for Palestinians in Gaza, in coordination with Washington.
Smotrich noted that the plan involves identifying key countries, understanding their interests and fostering cooperation.
He suggested that relocating 10,000 people daily could see the process completed within six months. Financial constraints would not hinder the effort, despite its logistical complexity, he said.
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