Foreign Minister Retno Urges The Entry Of Fuel For Indonesian Hospitals In Gaza

Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, Palestine. (ANTARA/HO-MER-C)

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi urged that fuel supplies could enter Gaza for the operation of Indonesian hospitals driven by MER-C volunteers.

"From our communication with MER-C volunteers in the field, information was obtained that the remaining time was approximately 48 hours since this morning, before the main generator (of the hospital) went down (dead)," Retno said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 1.

Therefore, Indonesia continues to seek the entry of fuel, clean water, and basic materials that are urgently needed by Gazans in the midst of ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

"With the current situation, we are intensifying communication so that fuel can immediately enter Gaza on humanitarian grounds. Once again for humanitarian reasons," said Retno.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health released a warning that the main generators in two hospitals in Gaza, namely Al Syifa Medical Complex Hospital and Indonesian hospitals, would die if there was no additional fuel supply.

Fuel supplies are becoming very important so that the two hospitals can continue to operate to treat victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"This decision was conveyed so that fuel could enter for humanitarian purposes, one of which was for hospitals. Because within hours, Gaza will run out of fuel and hospitals will not work," said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lalu Muhamad Iqbal.

Volunteers from the MER-C humanitarian organization on Tuesday (31/10) reported that the Israeli military is still continuing to attack the Gaza Strip either by sea, land, or air, in areas where they currently live.

An MER-C volunteer named Fikri Rofiul Haq said the Israeli military even targeted residential buildings not far from hospitals.

According to reports from local residents, a residential building was razed to the ground just hundreds of meters from the hospital, causing dozens of residents to flee to the hospital.

So far, two thousand Gazans have fled to Indonesian hospitals

According to Fikri, the death toll from the Israeli attack had reached eight thousand people with 3,100 of them children and 1,800 were women, while the injured reached 19 thousand people who were also dominated by children and women.

"Indonesian hospitals are currently providing hospitalization services for about 200 out of 3,000 victims who were injured," said Fikri.