2 Indonesian Air Force Hercules Planes Send Aid To Gaza Saturday

Head of the TNI Information Center Rear Admiral TNI Julius Widjojono. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Two units of the C-130 Hercules Air Force aircraft are scheduled to fly on Saturday 4 November flying from Jakarta to Egypt to send aid from the Indonesian Government, the Indonesian Red Cross, and the National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) to Palestinians in Gaza.

Head of the TNI Information Center (Kapuspen) Rear Admiral (Laksda) Julius Widjojono confirmed the information and said the two Hercules units that were dispatched were from the 31st Air Squadron and 32rd Air Squadron of the Indonesian Air Force.

Apart from that, Julius in an official broadcast of the TNI Information Center in Jakarta, Thursday, added that the Indonesian Air Force had also prepared two Hercules reserves for the humanitarian mission.

"In addition to the two units of the Indonesian Air Force Hercules aircraft, three units of charter aircraft (Boeing 737 Garuda) were involved by the National Police Headquarters, bringing the total support of aircraft to transport logistics for humanitarian aid to Palestine," said Julius, Thursday, November 2.

The three aircraft are scheduled to depart from Base Ops Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base (Lanud) in Jakarta on Saturday at 08.30 WIB. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is scheduled to release the group carrying the humanitarian aid.

The group of aircraft from Indonesia is scheduled to arrive in Egypt on Monday 6 November.

The route for this humanitarian mission is Halim (Jakarta)-Aceh-Yangon (Myanmar)-New Delhi (India)-Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)-Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)-El Arish (Egypt). Solid inter-institutional collaboration has made the aid delivery process run smoothly so far," said the Head of the TNI Information Center.

He continued the process at this time the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) submitted a diplomatic note, especially regarding flight clearance, landing permits, ground handling, and others.

He said the Ministry of Defense also helped finance in several aid delivery processes.

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lalu Muhammad Iqbal at a press conference session in Jakarta, last Wednesday, said that the aid would be handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent, then distributed to Gaza by UNRWA.

"This is because only the Egyptian Red Crescent is authorized to bring aid to Gaza," said Iqbal.

He added that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still waiting for approval from the United Nations regarding aid items that can enter Gaza.