JAKARTA: Indonesia is ready to temporarily shelter Palestinians hit by the war in Gaza, President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday (Apr 9), estimating there could be 1,000 in the first wave, as he started a trip to the Middle East and Türkiye.
Prabowo said he has instructed his foreign minister to quickly discuss with the Palestinian side and other parties about how to evacuate impacted Palestinians to Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country.
“We are ready to evacuate the wounded, the traumatised, the orphans,” Prabowo said, adding the victims would be in Indonesia temporarily until they have fully recovered from their injuries and the situation in Gaza was safe for their return.
Jakarta has been advocating for a two-state solution and has sent humanitarian aid.
Israel’s war in Gaza was triggered in October 2023, when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, Palestinian authorities have said.
