Indonesia is weighing a controversial plan to temporarily house 2,000 Gazans on the uninhabited Galang Island, south of Singapore. The island once served as a refugee camp for Vietnamese and, more grimly, as a quarantine site for patients with contagious diseases such as plague.
According to government officials, the proposal is still in the “exploratory” stage. President Prabowo Subianto’s spokesperson confirmed Galang is one option due to its history of humanitarian use and existing infrastructure. Other alternatives include military hospitals in Jakarta, facilities in West and Central Java, and even coordination with Jordan, where Subianto enjoys strong ties.
The plan has triggered political sensitivity. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation with no diplomatic ties to Israel, has long backed Palestinian statehood. Several Islamist leaders accused the government of being “tricked” by Israel, warning the move could undermine Palestinians’ “right of return.” Abdul Kadir Djilani, a senior Foreign Ministry official, emphasized no final decision has been made. Any action, he said, must align with humanitarian law and gain approval from Palestinian authorities and regional stakeholders.
Parliament’s First Committee, overseeing defense and foreign affairs, has been briefed on logistical, medical, and legal challenges. “Our aim is treatment, not resettlement,” said deputy chairman Dave Laksono. “The return of these people must be guaranteed once conditions in Gaza allow.”