Commission I Of The House Of Representatives Welcomes The Plan To Send Ships To The TNI Hospital To Palestine

Illustration. KRI Dr Wahidin Sudirohudo-991 made by PT PAL Indonesia. The first hospital aid ship (BRS) of the Indonesian Navy docked in West Papua on Monday 9 August 2022. (Between-Olha Mulalinda)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives Sukamta supports the plan to ship the TNI hospital ship (RS) to Palestine. According to him, this is the right step that needs to be done immediately.

"The assistance in the form of sending hospital ships to be carried out by the TNI is a very appropriate step and needs to be done immediately," Sukamta said in a statement, Monday, November 6, which was confiscated by Antara.

According to him, the plan is proof of the extraordinary courage possessed by the TNI to support the humanitarian actions that are urgently needed by Palestinians in Gaza.

Because, he said, the condition of health services in Gaza could be said to be almost paralyzed based on the reports he got.

"No drugs, hospital facilities were destroyed, many medical personnel were victims. Meanwhile, every day hundreds died and thousands were injured as a result of the blind bombing by the Israeli side," said the PKS politician.

To that end, he assessed that sending ships to TNI hospitals would also encourage many other countries to take bolder measures to break restrictions on access to humanitarian aid that had been threatened by Israel.

"The sooner this hospital ship is delivered, the better, because of course it will take a long time for ships to reach Gaza waters," he said.

Sukamta also asked the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) to immediately help lobby the Egyptian government and several related parties abroad to facilitate access to hospital ships to Gaza waters.

Previously, Defense Minister (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto received a visit from the Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair Al Shun at the Ministry of Defense Building, Central Jakarta, Jakarta, Monday 6 November.

After the closed meeting, Prabowo said that Indonesia had offered to ship a hospital ship to Palestine.

"I accept the Palestinian ambassador, we have discussed more deeply our plans to send a hospital ship," Prabowo said.

He has also reported to President Joko Widodo and coordinated with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi regarding the delivery of the hospital ship to Palestine.