Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government denies trying to move Palestinians out of their homeland in the evacuation plan that President Prabowo Subianto had just floated, reiterating that the evacuated Gazans would eventually return to their homes.
Shortly before heading to the Middle East on Wednesday, Prabowo announced that Indonesia would shelter at least 1,000 of Gaza's wounded and orphans until the war-torn enclave is safe enough to return to. Prabowo said that he would consult with the Palestinian government first before actually evacuating the individuals.
The plan sparked concerns, with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) accusing the government of wanting to back US President Donald Trump's Gaza relocation proposals. US President Donald Trump has proposed having the US take over Gaza while relocating its people to other countries – something that Indonesia "strongly rejected" in past statements.
Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono issued a statement on Thursday to cool down the concerns, saying that Indonesia would only act as a temporary host.
"As instructed by Mr. President [Prabowo], the [Palestinians] will only stay in Indonesia temporarily. We harbor no intention of 'moving' Palestinians from their homeland," Sugiono said.
"Once again, Indonesia disapproves of any attempt to relocate Gazans out of their homeland. Every attempt to alter Gaza's 'demographic composition' is a violation against international law," he stated.
Sugiono pointed out how countries such as Egypt, Turkiye, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates UAE had received Palestinians who had fallen victim to the Gaza war. Prabowo is set to stop by these four countries during his Middle East tour. Prabowo had already met Emirati leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ). The retired army general revealed that he had consulted with MBZ on Gaza affairs, although he did not say whether the discussions touched on the evacuation proposal.
Indonesia will consult with the Palestinian authorities and other countries in the region beforehand. The evacuation plan also calls for internal coordination within the Indonesian government to discuss the technical details, according to Sugiono.
"We need to make sure that every step is done for the sake of the Palestinians and earn the backing of countries in the region. ... We will decide when we should carry out [the plan] once we have consulted with various countries and made the technical preparations," the minister said.
The Gaza death toll has topped 50,800 since the conflict heightened in October 2023. Over the past months, Indonesia often found itself the subject of rumors of being a potential host country for Gazans.
Early this year, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a plan to relocate some 2 million Palestinians in the meantime, with Indonesia listed as one of the potential host countries. The Indonesian government denied such claims. Just a few weeks ago, Hebrew media reports claimed that Indonesia was in talks to relocate some Gazans and have them take up construction jobs. Again, Indonesia denied ever engaging in such discussions.