Waiting For Egyptian Permission, Defense Minister Ensures RI Immediately Sends Hospital Ships

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto ensured that Indonesia immediately sent an aid hospital ship (RS) to the waters around Gaza. However, this assistance was after obtaining permission from the Egyptian government.

Prabowo Subianto explained that currently the process of the Minister of Defense is trying to meet with representatives of the Egyptian government in Indonesia and discuss the mission to send the hospital ship to the waters around Gaza, Palestine, which passes through and enter the Egyptian region.

"We continue to coordinate, on Monday, I invite the Egyptian Ambassador and the Palestinian Ambassador to coordinate further assistance," said Prabowo on the sidelines of his activities accompanying Indonesian President Joko Widodo in releasing aid from the Indonesian government to Gaza at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Base (Lanud), Jakarta, Saturday.

The Indonesian Defense Minister continued, "Once Egypt permits, we will send it."

Prabowo said the hospital ship included the KRI (Indonesian warship) which also functions as an auxiliary hospital ship operated by the Indonesian Navy. The Indonesian Navy has so far been strengthened by three KRIs which also function as auxiliary hospitals, namely KRI dr. Soeharso-990, KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991, and KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat-992.

However, Prabowo did not mention which KRI was prepared to be sent in the waters around Gaza.

The Indonesian Defense Minister at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Base, Jakarta, Saturday, accompanied Indonesian President Joko Widodo to review his departure and release the delivery of humanitarian aid from the Indonesian government together with the TNI and Polri, the Indonesian Red Cross, Baznas, the Zakat Forum, and the Indonesian people for Palestinians who were victims of war in Gaza.

President Jokowi when delivering a statement in front of reporters said that the assistance sent from Jakarta, Saturday, was the first phase of the two planned stages.

"This is the first stage of assistance being carried using three planes and containing 51.5 tons of aid in the form of foodstuffs, medical equipment, blankets, tents, and other logistics items that have been adjusted to the needs in Gaza," said the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

Jokowi said that the assistance was a form of Indonesia's solidarity and concern for the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.

"Humanity tragedy in Gaza is unacceptable and must be stopped as soon as possible," said President Jokowi.

The aid package from Indonesia was transported using two C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Indonesian Air Force and one Boeing 737 aircraft leased by the National Police Headquarters. The total crew of aircraft from the Indonesian Air Force departing on the humanitarian mission were 42 personnel plus two middle-ranking TNI officers from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.

The flight route will be from Jakarta, then transit in several countries, and land in El Arish, Egypt. The aid was then transported by land, which in its delivery was assisted by Egypt's Red Crescent, then handed over to the UN Agency for Refugees in Palestine (UNRWA).