Govt Promises Protection on Indonesian Hospital in Besieged Gaza

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo stated that the government has and will continue to protect Indonesian nationals and public facilities including the Indonesian Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip, Palestine.

"I have also stated in the OIC Summit and during the bilateral meetings in between the [OIC] Summit regarding the importance of respecting the international humanitarian law," he said during a press conference in Washington DC on Sunday evening, November 12, 2023, local time.

MER-C, the management of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, has released an open letter addressed to President Jokowi about the worsening condition in the region. 

The Chairman of MER-C Presidium Sarbini Abdul Murad stated in the letter that the Indonesian Hospital was trying to survive and operate amid darkness and a shortage of medications.

"The Indonesian Hospital is now trying to survive and operate amid darkness and a shortage of medications because it is the only hope for the people of North Gaza to seek refuge and access medical treatment," Sarbini wrote in the open letter on Saturday, November 11.

Sarbini hoped President Jokowi would convey this message to US President Joe Biden during his scheduled meeting at the White House on Monday. The meeting would commence two days after Jokowi's attendance at the OIC Summit in Riyadh.

Thus, Jokowi is ensured to present the results of the summit during the bilateral meeting. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated that Jokowi will relay the messages from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington. 

In a media briefing on Sunday, Jokowi highlighted that he has called on OIC state members to unite and be on the frontline to resolve the situation in Gaza.

Jokowi restated his points on the necessity of a ceasefire, humanitarian aid that must be accelerated and expanded in size, initiative of immediate peace negotiations, and a call to not target public facilities and humanitarian activities.

"Israel must be held accountable for the atrocities that have been committed," he emphasized.

A strong message from OIC

OIC Summit resulted in a strong and sturdy resolution encompassing 31 decisions. These decisions include condemning Israel's aggression in Gaza, urging the UN Security Council to promptly adopt a resolution to immediately end the violence, allow aid to enter Gaza, and affirming the importance of honoring international law.

Specifically in paragraph 11, the resolution mandated the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, Indonesia, and Nigeria to initiate immediate international action on behalf of all member states of OIC and the Arab League to formulate an international move to halt the war in Gaza and pressure for a real political process to achieve permanent peace.

As of Thursday, November 9, Israel's aggression on Gaza has killed at least 10,812 people, 40 percent of whom are children, according to Palestinian authorities. Basic necessities across the besieged enclave are dwindling, while residential buildings have been bombed to smithereens.

Israel so far has refused any calls for a ceasefire and only agreed to pause the bombing campaign for a brief and limited window of time to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. 

On November 10, Israel's ministry spokesperson revised their death toll caused by Hamas' attack on October 7 to 1,200 people.

Washington is one of Israel's persistent allies. The White House also thwarted any attempt to call for a ceasefire and blamed Hamas as the main cause of the conflict escalation this past month.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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