Indonesian Family Still Stuck in Gaza as Rafah Border Crossing Closed

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Efforts to evacuate another Indonesian family trapped in Gaza are still ongoing despite the dangerous situation caused by Israel's bombardment of the enclave since October 7, 2023. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said today, Nov. 6 that the evacuation has been stalled for the past two days due to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt being closed.

“We received information that the Rafah door was not opened from the Gaza side, so the evacuation was not possible. We will continue to work [towards the evacuation], and yesterday, I contacted various parties to ensure that the Indonesian citizens are in good condition,” Retno said.

One Indonesian family to be evacuated consists of Muhammad Hussein and his two Indonesian children and his Palestinian wife. They reside in southern Gaza, which is closer to the Rafah gate than northern Gaza, with a travel time of around 20 minutes under normal circumstances.

On November 2, the Hussein family faced administrative issues upon their arrival at the Rafah border crossing on Nov. 2 and had to return to their home. In his YouTube video posted on the same day, Hussein said that only his name was included on the list of foreigners who were allowed to leave the besieged enclave. He also said that other foreigners in Gaza also faced similar administrative problems.

Minister Retno confirmed that she was in constant communication with Hussein and his family to facilitate their safe evacuation from Gaza.

Besides, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry is also in touch with three Indonesian citizens, who are students and volunteers of the Medical and Humanitarian Institute (MER-C). They decided to stay in Gaza and serve at the Indonesian Hospital (RSI) in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.

“I call on Israel to stop killing civilians and targeting attacks on civilian facilities such as hospitals, mosques, and churches,” Retno stressed.

As previously reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed to evacuate one Indonesian family from Gaza on Thursday, Nov. 2. They are the family of Abdillah Onim with his Palestinian wife and three Indonesian children.

NABIILA AZZAHRA

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