Is It True That Indonesian Hospitals In Gaza Are Used As Hamas Defense Forts?

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

JAKARTA Being able to make a real contribution in conflict areas is a valuable and unforgettable experience. And, the medical team is one of the most important parts in the war area.

The medical team is tasked with providing health services for people who need health services.

It has been more than a month since the Israeli conflict with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has occurred. The situation in Gaza is currently increasingly concerning as the Israeli military continues to launch attacks. Schools and hospitals were not even spared from Israeli attacks.

Chairman of the Presidium MER-C Indonesia Sarbini Abdul Murad (central), Presidium MER-C Indonesia Henry Hidayatullah (left), and Chairman of the Construction of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza Faried Talib (right) gave a statement to reporters at the MER-C Office in Jakarta, Tuesday (10/10/2023). (Between/Reno Esnir/tom).

The latest news says Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest hospital, is in a "terrible and dangerous" condition according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO Director-General Tedro Adhano Ghebreyesus said the continuous bombings and bombings in the area around the hospital had exacerbated the critical situation. He even said Al Shifa no longer functions as a hospital.

Apart from Al Shifa, another hospital that was also attacked by Israel is the Indonesian Hospital. According to the Head of the Presidium Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) dr. Sarbini Abdul Murad, RS Indonesia is the second largest hospital in Gaza after Al Shifa.

However, the current condition of the Indonesian hospital is increasingly concerning because of the repeated attacks carried out by the Israeli military in the area around the hospital.

In the midst of a tense situation, over the past week news emerged about Israel accusing the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza of having a bunker and tunnel connected to Hamas. In fact, news emerged that Hamas was controlling Indonesian hospitals.

Sarbini firmly denied the claim. He said hospital construction and design for Palestinians did not have a Hamas bunker and tunnel.

The narrative about the Indonesian hospital circulated before the bombing. We read that there was a narrative that was built, "said Sarbini during the 'PB IDI Briefing Media Regarding Sharing The Experience of Indonesian Doctors in the War Zone', Friday (10/11/2023).

Sarbini assessed that the narrative was deliberately built by Israel with the aim of terrorizing patients and refugees from Indonesian hospitals. Currently, Indonesian hospitals are not only filled with patients who need treatment, but also local residents who seek protection.

They packed three floors of hospitals and the front yard. They were forced to take shelter in the hospital because their house was unsafe.

"The current condition of Gaza is very bad, very bad compared to the previous period. The hospital was beaten, the Christian hospital of the Al Ahly Baptist Hospital was beaten, the third oldest church in the world was also beaten," Sarbini added.

"The narrative was built so that people move from Indonesian hospitals in Gaza, that is, so that later when the hospital is empty they will be executed," he said again.

Until now, Indonesia has not sent doctors to be able to help in the Gaza region. This happened because it was difficult for doctors to enter Gaza.

In fact, Idrus Paturusi, Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, said that currently many Indonesian doctors are ready to go to Palestine. However, the current situation in Gaza is much tougher than the previous humanitarian mission.

"We have sent medicines through the Indonesian Red Cross quite a lot, but not necessarily. The situation in Gaza is now very worrying, more than 10,000 people have died," said dr. Idrus, who had served in a number of Indonesian humanitarian missions abroad.

Currently there are only three volunteers from Indonesia who still survive in Gaza. They are Fikri Rofil Haq, Reza Aldilla Kurniawan, and Farid Zanzabil Al Ayudi.

Sarbini said there was a big task his colleagues had to do in Gaza so they refused to be evacuated even though they were repeatedly asked by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu).

"We are staying there because there is a big task that must be carried out by friends. They not only represent the MER-C, but also represent 280 million Indonesian people. They do that with humanitarian missions," said Sarbini.

On the other hand, Idrus appreciated the loyalty of the three Indonesian volunteers who were still surviving in Gaza. However, he also did not forget to send a message to them as the focus of the Gazan people.

These three volunteers seem to be united with the Gazans. Thank God they want to survive, please take care of your health, take care of your safety because they are the foundation," he concluded.