Indonesia to take 1000 from Gaza

Indonesia will forge ahead with its promised temporary refuge for 1000 Palestinian civilians from Gaza, as its President finalised discussions on ways to respond to US tariffs.

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. Picture: Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP

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Indonesia will forge ahead with its promised temporary refuge for 1000 Palestinian civilians from Gaza, the government said on Thursday, as its President finalised discussions with leaders from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the initiative and broader regional co-operation, including ways to respond to US tariffs.

“If all parties agree, Indonesia is ready to receive victims of war, particularly civilians, for medical treatment and humanitarian care,” Foreign Minister Sugiono said in a statement. “In addition to the injured, we are prepared to accommodate orphaned children suffering from trauma and in need of support.”

Sugiono was accompanying Prabowo Subianto on a five-country diplomatic tour this week, which includes stops in the UAE, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan.

The president confirmed the plan on Wednesday before departing for Abu Dhabi, stating Indonesia would proceed with the initiative only with the full consent of all relevant stakeholders.

“We are prepared to accommodate approximately 1000 people from Gaza in the initial phase, primarily the injured, those affected by trauma, and orphaned children,” Prabowo said. “We are ready to send aircraft to transport them as part of the first wave.”

Foreign Minister Sugiono. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP

The statement marks a shift from Indonesia’s position in January, when the Foreign Ministry rejected a proposal reportedly backed by the Trump administration to send hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees to Indonesia.

“Indonesia strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians or alter the demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territory,” a ministry spokesman said at the time.

In Thursday’s statement, Mr Sugiono said Indonesia would play a humanitarian role in line with actions taken by fellow Muslim countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE, which have already accepted Palestinian war victims.

“Their presence in Indonesia will be strictly temporary and should not be interpreted as an effort to relocate Palestinians from their homeland,” he said. “I want to reiterate that Indonesia rejects any attempt to transfer or resettle Palestinians from Gaza. Any demographic alteration of the territory constitutes a violation of international law.”

He added Indonesian was continuing consultations with various nations, including the Palestinian authorities to ensure that all efforts were aligned with the interests and welfare of the Palestinian people, and supported by regional actors.

“At the national level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will co-ordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to implement the President’s directive, particularly regarding the technical aspects of both the evacuation and the eventual repatriation of those accepted into Indonesia,” Mr Sugiono said.

In Abu Dhabi, Mr Prabowo said he had discussed current regional geopolitical developments with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).

“I’ve been consulting on various geopolitical developments. We want to hear input, ideas, and views from leaders in this region. Of course, we are all thinking about how we can help resolve the conflict in Gaza and the surrounding area.”

The two countries also signed agreements on food, fisheries, counter-terrorism, and Islamic charity co-operation. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of business deals on milk and livestock production, arms and solar power plants.

From Abu Dhabi, the president travelled to Ankara where he was greeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is scheduled to give an address to parliament.