Indonesia’s plan to treat 2,000 injured Gazans on an uninhabited island faces scrutiny

Indonesia is said to be finalising the details of a plan to provide medical evacuations for 2,000 injured Palestinians from Gaza, potentially on the uninhabited Galang Island.

The government is now holding inter-ministerial discussions on logistics, legal frameworks, and foreign policy implications, according to a senior government official.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Indonesia would provide the treatment, but without further details. “Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris,” spokesperson Hasan Nasbi told reporters earlier, insisting the exercise did not amount to an evacuation.

Critics had compared the proposal to US president Donald Trump’s suggestion that Washington could seize control of Gaza and transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East” – a vision that would deny Palestinians the right to return.

Indonesian officials, however, emphasised that the aid would be temporary, coordinated with Palestinian authorities and international agencies, and respect the Palestinians’ right to return.

As discussions progress, officials are now reportedly weighing possible locations to host the patients. One option under consideration is Galang, situated just south of Singapore.

The island has a long humanitarian history, having once served as a camp for Vietnamese refugees and more recently as the site of a pandemic hospital, making it a practical candidate for temporary medical assistance.

Although Indonesia does not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel and has consistently backed Palestinian statehood, officials have been cautious in disclosing specifics of the treatment plan, stressing that the proposal for Galang Island remains only one of several possibilities under review.

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Dave Lakono, deputy chair of the parliament’s commission I, which oversees defence and foreign affairs, told The Guardian: “These discussions have focused on logistical feasibility, medical readiness, and legal frameworks. Commission I has also been briefed on the strategic implications, particularly regarding Indonesia’s foreign policy posture and regional stability.”

He said that while Galang Island has been singled out as a potential location, other facilities in West Java and Central Java are also under review due to their closeness to major hospitals and transport networks.

Officials admit that the proposal is politically sensitive, with some Islamic leaders accusing the government of being “deceived” by Israel and questioning what assurances exist to guarantee the Palestinians’ eventual return.

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“One of the issues is how to make sure the right to return of the Palestinians can be respected because we know that many are worried that this kind of policy can be interpreted in other ways,” said Abdul Kadir Jailani, the director general for Asian, Pacific and African affairs at Indonesia’s ministry of foreign affairs.

“So we have to make sure it will be consistent with the principle of international humanitarian law, and in particular, how to respect the right to return of the Palestinians.”

He added: “The implementation of this plan has a high level of complexity, particularly in terms of its political and technical aspects.”

Earlier this week, Indonesia marked its 80th Independence Day by airdropping nearly 18 tonnes of aid into Gaza, including food, medicine, and blankets, with plans to deliver up to 800 tonnes in total.

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Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, from the Centre of Economic and Law Studies in Jakarta, told ABC News that Indonesia should take a stronger stance against Israel to “end Israeli apartheid”.

“The reason Indonesia has not taken a stronger stance is likely due to a combination of factors,” Dr Rakhmat said. “Its need to maintain diplomatic relations with other powers, the complexity of regional geopolitics, and concerns about the potential repercussions of antagonising Israel for its allies.”

The proposal to offer medical care for Palestinians was initially floated by president Prabowo Subianto during a five-country visit to the Middle East in April.

At the time, he declared that Indonesia was “ready to evacuate those who are injured or traumatised, and orphans, if they want to be evacuated to Indonesia”.

He continued: “Indonesia’s commitment in supporting the safety of Palestinians and their independence has pushed our government to act more actively.”

Indonesia’s foreign ministry declared at the time that it “strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians” from Gaza.

Siti Mutiah Setiawati, a professor of Middle Eastern geopolitics at Gadjah Mada University’s Department of International Relations said earlier that flying 2,000 Gazans to Indonesia for medical care would be inefficient due to the long distance, and it would be more practical to treat them in nearby Arab countries.

She also highlighted logistical challenges, including patient transport and the adequacy of medical services on Galang Island. “We need to assess the condition of the Gazans first. If their illness is serious, will it worsen if they are brought here? It’s too risky because it’s so far away.”

Smith Alhadar, an advisor to the Indonesian Society for Middle East Studies, was quoted as saying by Indonesian outlet Kompas: “Whether we realise it or not, Indonesia will be caught in an Israeli-US scenario that our government cannot possibly ignore.

“Galang Island is indeed capable of accommodating more Palestinians. However, if we do that, we are not helping Palestine, but rather eliminating it. That would mean we are also complicit in ethnic cleansing alongside Israel and the US, and could worsen Indonesia’s relations with Middle Eastern countries.”