Indonesia president says ready to temporarily shelter Gazans

A Palestinian man carries children across the rubble of a house that was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 31, 2025. Agence France-Presse

JAKARTA — Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday said he was prepared to grant temporary shelter to Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza between the Israeli military and the territory’s rulers Hamas.

Nearly 400,000 Gaza residents have been displaced in the weeks since Israel resumed military operations in the territory last month, according to the United Nations.

“We are ready to receive wounded victims,” Prabowo said before leaving for a Middle East visit to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan.

READ: Israeli strikes across Gaza kill more than 400 Palestinians

“We are ready to send planes to transport them. We estimate the numbers may be 1,000 for the first wave.”

Wounded Palestinians and “traumatized, orphaned children” would be prioritized, he said.

He said he had instructed his foreign minister to talk with Palestinian officials and “parties in the region” on how to evacuate wounded or orphaned Gazans.

READ: Israel announces ground operations, issues ‘last warning’ to Gazans

The victims would only be in Indonesia until they recovered and it was safe for their return.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has consistently called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

According to Turkish media, Prabowo will be afforded the rare opportunity to address the Turkish parliament.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is one of the main backers of the Palestinian cause and visited Indonesia in February, where the pair pledged closer ties.