Indonesia ready to send more humanitarian aid to Gaza: Prabowo

Jakarta, October 20 (ANTARA) - Newly inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday emphasized Indonesia's readiness to continue sending humanitarian aid to Gaza, Palestine.

"We are ready to send more humanitarian aid to Palestine. We are ready to evacuate injured victims, including children, who are traumatized and victims of war," he said in his inaugural speech at the Nusantara Building, Jakarta, on Sunday.

The (Indonesian) government is also ready to prepare hospitals for victims of war, he added.

"We will prepare TNI (Indonesian Defense Forces) hospitals for Palestinians who are victims of the war," he affirmed.

According to Prabowo, during President Joko Widodo's term, Indonesia sent multiple humanitarian aid shipments to Palestine. Currently, Indonesia has also placed volunteers in Gaza and Rafah.

He then mentioned the Indonesian doctors and nurses who have joined the mission with the United Arab Emirates to help treat the victims of the war.

He reiterated the government's support for the Palestinian people who are still facing war.

"We must be solid and defend the people in oppressed countries around the world. For that, we support the independence of the Palestinian people," he emphasized.

On the same occasion, the chairperson of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Ahmad Muzani, said he hoped that Prabowo will continue to fight for the independence of the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian conflict is a complex issue that must be addressed, he added.

"Through active diplomacy, we can give voice to those who are marginalized and encourage the international community to support the rights of the Palestinian people," he said.

The Indonesian government tripled its funding assistance to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in 2023.

This year, it doubled its contribution to US$1.2 million, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition, the Indonesian government is continuing to push innovative funding to strengthen UNRWA, including by exploring cooperation with the National Alms Agency (Baznas) to increase aid distribution to UNRWA.

Since November 2023, Baznas has distributed around US$3.3 million to the Palestinian people.