Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – Indonesia has never facilitated the transfer of any Palestinians, including those from Gaza, to the country, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, responding to allegations from international sources that hundreds of Palestinians have traveled by air to destinations such as South Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia through dubious Israeli-linked nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Jakarta continues to monitor and verify all information regarding any reported movements of Gazans said to be linked to Indonesia, while also ensuring that no visa permits have been misused, the ministry further said in a statement.
Late last week, South Africa reported that a chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza had landed at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport without proper travel documents or exit stamps usually issued by Israel.
After denying their entry, South Africa launched an investigation into how they arrived via Nairobi, amid claims that a Jerusalem-based organization, Al-Majd Europe, was responsible for arranging the irregular travel, AFP reported.
Several South African activists who investigated the case and assisted the Palestinians have since told media that many passengers were unaware of their final destinations, with boarding passes indicating a range of locations, including India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
In a statement received by The Jakarta Post on Monday, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang emphasized that the country has never facilitated any attempts to bring Palestinians into the country.
"Indonesia rejects all forms of forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, as it violates international law and the principle of the two-state solution," she said.
"In several cases, there has been information that some Gazans have attempted to find independent exit routes and subsequently received support from humanitarian organizations or nongovernmental parties. Indonesia is not involved in these processes," she continued.
Palestinians are eligible for a visa on arrival when arriving in Indonesia, valid for 30 days and extendable once for another month. Yvonne underlined that visa issuance "does not constitute evacuation".
She said the ministry was verifying all circulating information and coordinating with relevant parties to ensure no visa abuse occurs. "Indonesia does not have a policy of accepting Gazan refugees through visas or charter flights".
South African activists have also criticized the alleged involvement of Israel in facilitating the travel, describing the operation as trafficking that exploits Palestinians seeking safety from the violence in Gaza to advance its ethnic-cleansing goals.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that passengers paid US$2,000 per seat to board the plane.
On Monday, Israeli newspaper Haaretz claimed that its investigations confirmed that Al-Majd Europe was responsible for the flights, and that Israel's Defense Ministry Voluntary Emigration Bureau had referred the organization to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to coordinate departures.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said without elaborating that the Palestinians arriving in Johannesburg appeared to have been "flushed out" of Gaza, AP reported.
Earlier this year, United States President Donald Trump, architect of the post-war Gaza peace plan approved Tuesday by the United Nations Security Council, said he intended to "temporarily relocate" Gaza's roughly two million residents while Washington works to transform the exclave into "the Riviera of the Middle East".
After widespread criticism, Trump's final 20-point plan stated that "no one will be forced to leave Gaza", though also providing that "those who wish to leave Gaza will be free to do so and free to return".
Indonesia remains consistent in its support for the Palestinian people, the foreign ministry underscored, including through humanitarian assistance and medical care.
"Indonesia will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that any action does not conflict with Indonesia's support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state," it said.
Source: https://asianews.network/indonesia-denies-role-in-illegal-movement-of-palestinians