Govt Begins Evacuation of Indonesians in Gaza as Rafah Crossing Opens

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The evacuation of Indonesian citizens trapped in the Gaza Strip has begun, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The rescue team arrived at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza today, Nov. 1. 

“The evacuation is possible today. I want to emphasize the word ‘possible’ because once again, we can never predict the situation,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at a press conference at the ministry building, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Retno said the ministry had deployed a team from Cairo to Rafah, the only accessible exit from the besieged Gaza at present.

“After multiple checks, our team from Cairo arrived in Rafah at 3:53 WIB (Western Indonesian Time). The team is already at the gate of the Egyptian side of Rafah. Now we'll just see what happens in this part of Gaza,” Retno said.

The evacuation, however, could not be carried out all at once, but with the safety of the people as a priority. She also made sure that Indonesian nationals trapped in Gaza were in good condition. “The ‘good’ does not mean as we are here, but they are ‘good’ in the midst of a very bad situation,” the minister said.

The ministry continued to make contact with Indonesians in Gaza despite unstable connections. The ministry noted there are ten Indonesians in Gaza, including three volunteers of the Medical and Humanitarian Institute (MER-C) and two citizens who are married to Palestinian citizens.

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