JAKARTA: Indonesia successfully evacuated two families from the Gaza Strip, while three citizens still reside near the Indonesian Hospital in Northern Gaza, Palestine.
The three individuals – volunteers from the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) Indonesia – have opted to stay there, according to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
“However, the ministry is maintaining communication with them and representatives of the MER-C in Jakarta to ensure their well-being,” she noted in a statement.
Retno said the Hussein family, comprising a husband with his wife and two children, have been successfully evacuated from South Gaza on Sunday.
They are currently in the territory of Egypt with the evacuation team from the Indonesian Embassy in Egypt, and will be taken to Cairo for their return to Indonesia.
According to Retno, the evacuation process for the family took a considerable amount of time, as their names were initially not on the list.
And despite their names being included, the evacuation experienced delays because of closed border gates stemming from various on-the-ground situations.
“This lengthy process once again highlights that the evacuation process is difficult, but we continue to exert maximum efforts,” she added.
The ministry’s first successful evacuation was conducted for the Abdillah Onim family – an Indonesian citizen with three children and his Palestinian wife from Gaza City. They arrived in Indonesia on Nov 3.
Many foreign nationals are leaving Gaza Strip, often referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison, after the blockaded enclave endured extensive damage from over a month of relentless Israeli airstrikes and brutal ground operations.-Bernama
