Jakarta. Indonesia is planning to temporarily shelter thousands of wounded Gazans in Galang Island for medical treatment.

The 2,000 Gazans will include family members of the injured, according to President Prabowo Subianto’s spokesman Hasan Nasbi on Thursday. Hasan revealed that Prabowo had instructed the Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry to work on the details at the recent cabinet meeting. 

“The president has given instructions for Indonesia to provide medical assistance for around 2,000 Gazans who are victims of war, including those wounded by bombs or the rubble … as well as their family members,” Hasan told a press conference. 

According to Hasan, Galang has housed Covid-19 patients and refugees in the past, when explaining why Indonesia picked the island. Between 1979 and 1996, Vietnamese refugees took shelter on the island to flee the conflict in their homeland. Galang is part of the Riau Islands province, which lies in the western part of the country.

“We intend to set up the medical treatment center in Galang Island because it already has a hospital, as well as the supporting facilities. … Galang is also separated from our citizens residing in other [neighboring] islands,” Hasan said.

The spokesman then reassured reporters that the Gazans would have no problem taking shelter in Galang Island from the security and comfort standpoint. 

"This is not an evacuation, but only for medical treatment. They will return to Gaza once they have recovered. We are not moving them [out from Gaza], but this is a humanitarian operation to help as many people as we can," Hasan said.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to the Jakarta Globe’s request for comments.

Hasan’s statement showed that Prabowo still wished to pursue his earlier shelter plans. Early in April, Prabowo floated the plan of temporarily hosting Gaza's "wounded, orphans, and those traumatized" by the conflict. The Southeast Asian country was willing to shelter around 1,000 Gazans in the first phase, according to Prabowo at the time.

Indonesia intends to deploy peacekeepers to Gaza once the war-torn enclave reaches a ceasefire. Hasan also spoke of Jakarta’s plans to prepare two Hercules military planes to airdrop food aid in Gaza. Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Sugiono told reporters that Indonesia was trying to avoid having to airdrop the assistance, even calling such a method “risky”. 

Parachuting aids risks of landing directly on tents or even causes injuries and deaths.