Indonesian Hospital in Gaza Damaged by Israeli Air Strike

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) has called on the entire people of Indonesia to pray for the safety of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Gaza has been brutally attacked by the Israeli jet fighters.

"May almighty Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala protect the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza Strip along with the whole medical workers and our volunteers in it," said dr. Sarbini Abdul Murad, a member of the Presidium of Indonesia's MER-C on Sunday.

Due to the Israeli military's brutal air strikes that caused collateral damage and threatened the lives of Palestinian civilians, several rooms of the Indonesian Hospital got damaged, he said.

"Several rooms of the hospital, including the administrative room, toilets, and Intensive Care Unit, were damaged," said the medical doctor, who was born in the Indonesian province of Aceh.

Sarbini Abdul Murad, one of the MER-C volunteers who entered Gaza Strip in advance during the Israeli and Palestinian War in 2008, further said the Israeli attacks had forced the medical workers to move their patients to the hospital's hallways.

"The patients are moved to the hospital's hallways to protect them from the impact of other Israeli attacks," he said.

Meanwhile, according to Reza Aldilla Kurniawan, a MER-C volunteer who remains in Gaza Strip, said the Israeli jet fighters have been launching their deadly attacks on several areas since Friday evening (Oct. 26).

At least five missiles were fired to Byt Lahiya in northern Gaza, and hit the targets, which were close to the Indonesian Hospital, Kurniawan said, adding that the huge blasts had caused several parts of the Indonesian Hospital to get damaged.

During the construction process of the Indonesian Hospital, the Israeli military had also launched its deadly attacks on the northern parts of Gaza. One of the missile that the Israeli jet fighters fired hit a target, which was just around 50 meters away from the hospital building, Sarbini Abdul Murad said.

Located in Bayt Lahiya, an initiative to build the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza Strip was related to the Indonesian humanitarian relief mission for handing over the government and people's medical assistance for Palestinians from the end of 2008 to early 2009.

Indonesia is one of the staunch supporters of the Palestinian people's unfinished struggle for independence in the world.

Jakarta's political stance on the Palestinian issues has even been unchanged since the era of President Soekarno. In 1962, this founding father of Indonesia had uttered a statement, which was then used as a guidance in the Indonesian foreign policy on the Palestinian issues.

President Soekarno stated: "As long as the freedom of Palestine has yet to be returned to the Palestinians, then it will forever be for Indonesia to stand in defiance against the occupation by Israel.

ANTARA