Defense Minister: RI Ready To Send Hospital Ships To Treat Gaza Refugees

JAKARTA - Indonesian Defense Minister (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto said the Indonesian government is ready to send hospital ships on standby in the waters around Gaza to treat war victims of refugees.

He said the Indonesian government is currently in the process of coordinating with countries around Gaza, Palestine, including Egypt for the delivery of the auxiliary hospital ship.

"We will coordinate with the ruling parties there, especially Egypt and other countries to allow the victims we can evacuate. Then, we will coordinate with the Egyptian side there, the TNI is ready to send a hospital ship. The hospital ship is on standby there to provide more assistance," said the Indonesian Defense Minister when met at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Base Base Base (Lanud), Jakarta, Saturday, after the release of aid from the Indonesian Government to Gaza.

Defense Minister Prabowo conveyed to the Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair Al Shun that Indonesia has opened all hospitals to accept patients from Palestine.

"We have said this because we will coordinate with the ruling parties there, especially Egypt, possibly and other countries to allow victims that we can evacuate," said Prabowo Subianto.

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 brought by 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.

He conveyed 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 the Egyptian Red Crescent, then handed over to the UN Agency for Refugees in Palestine (UNRWA). Reporter : Genta Tenri Mawangi