Amid reports of the ongoing US-brokered negotiations between Israel and Hamas, there are reports of a plan to relocate Gazans to facilitate humanitarian efforts. While these rumors have yet to be confirmed, some possible host nations are being suggested.
The UN estimates that over 90% of residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Reconstruction would require relocation of much of Gaza’s population. NBC News reported on Saturday that the Trump transition team suggested relocating some of Gaza’s two million inhabitants during post-war reconstruction efforts, with one of the possible host countries being Indonesia.
The NBC report cited an anonymous transition official, suggesting that the relocation plan faces difficult obstacles. Regional countries have rejected accepting Palestinian migrants for fear they will radicalize their populations and cause internal strife. Potential host countries are also concerned about being seen as complicit in creating another refugee crisis. Palestinians and anti-Israel groups have also expressed deep reservations about any relocation proposals, fearing they might be permanently prevented from returning to their homeland, paving the way for Jews to be allowed to live in the region as they did before Gaza was ethnically cleansed in 2005.
The ceasefire deal includes injecting large amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza, much of which has been hijacked by Hamas and sold to raise money to continue its war against Israel. Relocating the residents of Gaza would allow for providing humanitarian assistance that Hamas would not steal.
Indonesia has firmly denied media reports suggesting it could become a temporary host co
“The Indonesian government has never received any information regarding this,” Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat told the press on Monday, adding that it was Jakarta’s first heard of such a relocation plan.
Meanwhile, Indonesia continues to demonstrate strong support for Gaza through various initiatives. In a significant move, President Prabowo Subianto announced in June 2024 that Indonesia would evacuate 1,000 Gaza war victims for medical treatment. The country has also offered to accommodate 1,000 traumatized Gazan children in Muslim boarding schools across East and West Java, particularly those orphaned by the war.
Elisheva Stross, who lives in Jerusalem, has worked to establish relations between Israel and Indonesia via RAHIM, an organization of Muslim clerics in Indonesia. She was skeptical that Indonesia would open its doors to refugees from Gaza.
“Indonesia is very pro-Palestinian and not pro-Israel,” Stross told Israel365 News. “There have been refugees from other Arab countries, for example, from Syria and Iraq. But this has been on a limited basis and with strict oversight. Indonesia has 17,000 islands and the refugees were restricted to one island and not permitted to move around the country. They were housed in institutions like orphanages or dormitories. And they were moved on to Australia fairly quickly.”
“Indonesians like order and safety and hate chaos,” Stross said. “I am sure there is pressure from other Muslim or Arab states on Indonesia but they would not want to welcome in a large number of Muslims with radical beliefs.”
Indonesia recently welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel on January 15, 2024, in Doha, Qatar. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono emphasized Indonesia’s readiness to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction efforts. “The implementation of the agreement must be carried out immediately and comprehensively to halt the loss of lives in Gaza,” the ministry stated.
At the moment, however, the issue of getting aid into Gaza that’s required in the first phase of the ceasefire deal remains a challenge. Israel maintains concerns due to Hamas hijacking any aid that’s allowed into Gaza and reselling it to fund its terrorist war against Israel.
Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims worldwide, with around 241.5 million.PLO leader Yasser Arafat visited Indonesia multiple times, including in 1984 to meet President Suharto; in September 1992 to attend the 10th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Jakarta, and in 1993 and August 2000 to meet Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid in Jakarta.
On October 21–23, 2007, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas made his first official state visit to Indonesia, where he signed several cooperation agreements with Indonesia, focusing on areas such as communications and education. Abbas returned to Indonesia for further visits in May 2010 and February 2014.
The country’s commitment to Palestinian support has been demonstrated through several concrete actions, including deploying the hospital ship KRI dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat to Arish, Sinai, Egypt, in January 2024. Indonesia also maintains the Indonesia Hospital in Bait Lahia, North Gaza, which was inaugurated in 2016 and provides essential medical services to the local population.
As the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation with approximately 241.5 million Muslims, Indonesia has consistently maintained close ties with Palestine. The country still refuses to recognize the State of Israel, conditioning its recognition on a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. In November 2023, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto personally donated about $330,000 to support the Palestinian people, while the government dispatched 51.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid via the Indonesian Air Force.
