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Indonesia, Egypt still in talks over field hospital for Gaza refugees
As the Indonesian Navy's hospital ship sails the seas on a goodwill mission to El Arish, the Defense Minister has said Indonesia is still discussing with Egypt on the possibility of setting up a field hospital to provide health services for Palestinian refugees who had fled the war in Gaza.
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Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right, on dais) addresses the crew of the Indonesian Navy's KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat hospital ship on Jan. 18, 2024 at the Military Sea Transport Command (Kolinlamil) in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, before it departed for El-Arish in Egypt with humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees from Gaza. (Courtesy of Defense Ministry/-)
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ndonesia was still in talks with Egypt to set up a field hospital for Palestinian refugees who had fled Gaza for Egypt, especially in the area bordering the Rafah crossing, the Defense Minister said on Thursday.
Prabowo Subianto said the discussion was facing headwinds because the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas involved many different interests. He added that Jakarta understood Cairo’s difficulty in granting permission to set up a field hospital due to pressures it was facing amid the war in Gaza.
Prabowo also stressed, however, that the Palestinian people should not be driven from their homes in Gaza by the Israeli army’s ground offensive.
"We have to understand the pressure the [Egyptian] government is experiencing. They are worried that the people of Gaza will be expelled from their homeland,” he said, as quoted by Antara.
“They cross to Egypt and then the Palestinian people are expelled again. That’s the concern."
Some 750,000 Palestinians were driven out from their homes in 1948 following the establishment of the state of Israel, an incident they call the Nakba, meaning “catastrophe”.
Prabowo first revealed Indonesia's plan to offer its assistance in setting up a field hospital during a December 2023 visit to Atang Sendjaja Air Force Base in Bogor regency, West Java.
