Jakarta: As he began a tour of the Middle East and Turkey, President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday (Apr 9) that Indonesia is prepared to provide temporary housing to Palestinians affected by the conflict in Gaza, predicting that there may be 1,000 in the first wave.

According to Prabowo, he has given his foreign minister instructions to promptly consult with the Palestinian side and other stakeholders on the evacuation of affected Palestinians to Indonesia, a nation with a majority of Muslims.

Prabowo said, “We are ready to evacuate the wounded, the traumatised, and the orphans.” He also stated that the victims would stay in Indonesia for a while until they had completely healed from their wounds and it was safe for them to return to Gaza.

In addition to sending humanitarian supplies, Jakarta has been promoting a two-state solution.

According to Israeli estimates, Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people in southern Israel in October 2023 and captured around 250 captives, sparking Israel’s war with Gaza.

According to Palestinian sources, Israel’s military onslaught has already killed over 50,000 Palestinians.

Prabowo said that while this approach is difficult, Indonesia wishes to play a bigger part in trying to find a solution to the problem.

As he prepared to go to Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, Prabowo said, “Indonesia’s commitment to supporting the safety of Palestinians and their independence has pushed our government to act more actively.”

The statement from Prabowo follows two months after Indonesia’s foreign ministry said that it “strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians” in response to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza permanently.

Prior to formally taking office last year, Prabowo said that Indonesia was prepared to deploy peacekeeping forces to Gaza if necessary.