Indonesia offers sanctuary to Palestinians displaced by Gaza war

President Prabowo Subianto, on a trip to the Middle East and Turkey, said Indonesia was ready to take up to 1,000 Palestinians initially

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Palestinian children walk through rubble and debris, a result of Israeli strikes, at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip last month. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:32pm, 9 Apr 2025

Indonesia is ready to temporarily shelter Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza, President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday, estimating there could be 1,000 in the first wave, as he started a trip to the Middle East and Turkey.

Prabowo said he had instructed his foreign minister to quickly discuss with the Palestinian side and other parties about how to evacuate affected Palestinians to Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

“We are ready to evacuate the wounded, the traumatised, the orphans,” Prabowo said, adding that the victims would be in Indonesia temporarily until they had fully recovered from their injuries and the situation in Gaza was safe for their return.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto speaks at an event in Jakarta on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Israel’s war in Gaza was triggered in October 2023, when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, Palestinian authorities have said.

Indonesia wants to increase its role in seeking a resolution to the conflict, Prabowo said, adding that this plan was not easy.

“Indonesia’s commitment in supporting the safety of Palestinians and their independence has pushed our government to act more actively,” Prabowo said, as he was about to embark on an overseas trip which includes Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.