Indonesian president-elect calls for Rafah probe, peacekeeping mission
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The president-elect of Indonesia says from Singapore that there must be an investigation into the Israeli occupation's horrendous actions in Gaza and Rafah in particular.
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Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto gestures during a special address at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue meeting at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, June 1, 2024. (AP)
Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto called Saturday for an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the recent humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip, particularly focusing on the city of Rafah.
Speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Subianto highlighted the tragic events that have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of children, women, and unarmed civilians.
"I wish to address the recent tragic events in Rafah, in Gaza, which have resulted in numerous innocent casualties, including children, women and unarmed civilians," he said. "These heartbreaking incidents compel us to urgently call for a comprehensive investigation into this humanitarian disaster. Understanding the full extent of this tragedy is crucial to preventing such incidents from happening again."
Rafah war crime
Around one million Palestinians have had to flee Rafah in the past three weeks, the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) said on May 28.
UNRWA stressed that the displacement from Rafah "happened with nowhere safe to go and amidst bombardments, lack of food and water, piles of waste and unsuitable living conditions."
The agency emphasized that providing assistance and protection is becoming nearly "impossible".
This comes as the Israeli occupation forces committed a new massacre against dozens of displaced persons by bombing their tents set up in UNRWA warehouses in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, an alleged safe zone on the evening of May 26.
The Government Media Office reported that the Israeli occupation committed a horrific massacre through the concentrated and deliberate bombing of a center for the forcibly displaced, established in UNRWA premises in the northwest of Rafah Governorate. The center was bombed with more than seven missiles and large bombs, each weighing more than 2000 pounds of explosives.
According to the Office, this violent bombing led to the martyrdom of dozens and caused numerous injuries, some of which are very serious, indicating a confirmed rise in the number of martyrs from this massacre.
Indonesian peacekeepers
Emphasizing Indonesia's commitment to peace and humanitarian efforts, Subianto announced the nation's readiness to deploy peacekeepers with an international mandate to Gaza, should the need arise.
"Indonesia supports all efforts and all measures that can fasten the progress towards the final two-state solution. In the meantime, we are prepared to do whatever we can to provide humanitarian assistance, as well as where needed and when requested by the United Nations, we are prepared to contribute significant peacekeeping forces to maintain and monitor this respective ceasefire; as well as providing protection and security to all parties and to all sides," he said.
Furthermore, Subianto revealed Indonesia's preparedness to send medical personnel to operate a field hospital in the Gaza Strip with the consent of all parties involved.
"Indonesia also is very willing to evacuate and treat wounded Palestinian civilians and those needing hospital care in Indonesian hospitals. [Outgoing] President Joko Widodo has instructed me to announce that we are ready to evacuate, to receive and to treat with medical care up to 1,000 patients in the immediate future," the stressed.
Proactive stance with Palestine
Back in January, Indonesia took legal action against "Israel", filing a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the Israeli entity's violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories.
According to Israeli newspaper Maariv, Jakarta submitted the case to the ICJ in The Hague amid the ongoing brutal bombardment of the besieged enclave by the Israeli entity.
Earlier reports indicated that Indonesia had sought the assistance of a team of experts to draft a case at the ICJ, aiming to hold "Israel" accountable for its "policies and practices" in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Last year, before Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and its impact on public opinion regarding "Israel", Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on March 7, 2023, that they were aiming to sign normalization ties with Mauritania, Somalia, Niger, and Indonesia, but it seems that the Resistance's actions and the subsequent Israeli criminality completely phased out any hope for normalization.
The possibility of Jakarta normalizing relations with "Tel Aviv" was first brought up by former President Abdurrahman Wahid, but the Indonesian public opposes the occupation, and normalization of relations would be strongly opposed by the people and unaccepted politically.
