Prabowo Visits The Middle East, Strives To Evacuate 1,000 Palestinians To Indonesia

President Prabowo Subianto visited five countries in the Middle East, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan, to ask for their support for Indonesia's plan to evacuate 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza to Indonesia.

President Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia will carry out its plan when it gets the "green light" from all parties, including countries that are currently actively helping the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The condition is that all parties must agree to this. Second, they are only here for a while until they recover, and when they recover and are healthy again, Gaza's condition has allowed them to return to their area. I think that's the attitude of the Indonesian government. For that, I have to consult the regional leader," said President Prabowo, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, April 9.

The President explained that he deliberately came directly to the five countries to consult with the leaders of their respective countries, because the President said he continued to get calls and received envoys who asked Indonesia's readiness to help the situation in Gaza.

"This is something complicated, not light, but Indonesia's commitment to supporting the safety of the Palestinian people, supporting Palestinian independence, I think encouraging the Indonesian government to play a more active role," Prabowo said.

The President also said that the plan was also to follow up on the demands of the international community, which assessed that Indonesia needed to play a more active role, considering that Indonesia is a non-block country, and the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

Indonesia is considered acceptable to all conflicting parties. I think this position makes us indeed have a responsibility, therefore I say that if all parties ask Indonesia to play a role, we are ready to play a role in accordance with Indonesia's capacity and capabilities," said President Prabowo.

Regarding the evacuation plan, the President said the Indonesian government was ready to accommodate approximately 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza for the first batch, especially those injured, those who were traumatized, and orphans.

"We are ready to send planes to transport them. We estimate the number is 1,000 for the first wave," said the President.

However, the plan will still be discussed further with the Palestinian Government. President Prabowo sent Foreign Minister Sugiono to discuss with the Palestinian side.

So far, Indonesia has sent aid in the form of food, medical equipment, medicines, clothing, clean water, to Palestinians in Gaza, both distributed through El Arish, Egypt, and those deployed directly from the air in collaboration with the Jordanian Air Force. Indonesia has also sent home ship KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat for several months of clothing in El Arish, and treated war victims from Gaza.

Indonesia is also currently still sending a team of doctors and other health workers to Rafah, Gaza, to provide health services at a field hospital owned by the United Arab Emirates, and in a floating hospital also owned by the UAE in El Arish, Egypt. The doctors and health workers who are currently working to treat patients in Gaza and El Arish are TNI soldiers from the TNI's three-dimensional Health Corps.

"We have also sent a medical team that continues to work in Gaza. The conditions are quite dangerous. The hospital where we (Indonesian doctors) are often shot. We are grateful, I thank our soldiers from the TNI's Health who work there," said the President.

The PK-GRD presidential plane carrying President Prabowo and Foreign Minister Sugiono and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, took off from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta, at around 01.00 WIB, Wednesday morning. The President and his entourage are scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi at around 06.00 local time.