Indonesia Plans to Treat 2000 Patients from Gaza on Galang Island

• Indonesia plans to treat 2000 patients from Gaza on Galang.
• Galang Island previously served as a refuge for refugees from Vietnam.
• Indonesia provides humanitarian assistance following the Israeli offensive in October 2023.

Indonesia plans to convert a medical facility on the uninhabited Galang Island to treat nearly 2000 residents of Gaza. This was reported by the spokesperson of President Hasan Nasbi during a press conference in Jakarta.

According to Nasbi, "Indonesia will provide medical assistance to nearly 2000 residents of Gaza, who have become victims of war, displaced, and those who are trapped under the rubble." Galang Island, located near the coast of Sumatra, was previously a place for refugees from Vietnam.

The plan includes temporary treatment of the patients and resettlement of their families on the island. After the patients are discharged, they plan to return to Gaza, although Hasan did not provide details regarding the timeline or guarantees for their return.

This step is part of the humanitarian assistance that Indonesia has already provided to Gaza following the beginning of the Israeli offensive in October 2023, as a result of which more than 60,000 Palestinians were killed. Meanwhile, earlier in Indonesia, there were expressions of intentions regarding possible U.S. plans to evacuate Palestinians from Gaza to other countries.

In response to the proposal from the president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, which drew criticism from religious leaders, the local ministry stated that it resolutely rejects any attempts at the forced relocation of Palestinians.

Galang was a large refugee camp until 1996, where nearly 250,000 people lived, who fled during the Vietnam War. In recent years, the island has opened a clinic for treating patients with COVID-19.

Tags: Middle East/Politics