The Indonesian government's proposal to evacuate 1,000 civilians from Gaza to Indonesia is not an act of relocation, but a humanitarian gesture based on consent from all relevant parties, while maintaining the proposed scheme as temporary in nature and selectively arranged for victims of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

“What was rejected [by a number of Middle Eastern countries] was Trump’s proposal, not the statement made by the President of Indonesia. We have also firmly rejected Trump’s proposal,” Spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rolliansyah Soemirat told Indonesia Business Post on Sunday, April 13, 2025.

He emphasized that Indonesia's stance remains in full support of the Palestinian cause, and the plan is intended purely as a temporary measure to provide critical medical aid to those in urgent need.

Rolliansyah reiterated that Indonesia has no intention to alter the demographics of Gaza, nor to cooperate with any agenda that could be construed as ethnic cleansing. Instead, the plan is contingent upon approval from the Palestinian Authority and other regional stakeholders.

“This is not a political maneuver. It's a reaffirmation of Indonesia’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian support for Palestine,” he said.

The Indonesian government’s proposal was raised by President Prabowo Subianto as he was about to leave on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 for a diplomacy tour to five Middle Eastern countries − the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan − in search of support for Indonesia's plan to evacuate 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza to Indonesia.

The proposal has sparked public debate and concern among observers, with some critics warning it may unintentionally align with the interests of Israel and the United States, who have been accused of using humanitarian corridors to depopulate Gaza. However, Indonesian officials maintain that the plan remains hypothetical and under early-stage consultation with regional leaders, including those in Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar.

“Indonesia stands ready to assist in any capacity that respects the sovereignty of Palestine and the rights of its people to remain on their land,” Rolliansyah said.

Rejection

International media have reported that Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt strongly opposed any plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza, calling such actions unacceptable under the current humanitarian crisis.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, speaking after a meeting of the Gaza Contact Group on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye, condemned any effort to frame forced displacement as “voluntary migration.”

“Voluntary migration cannot be accepted when Palestinians are deprived of the most basic necessities of life,” Prince Faisal told a press conference on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the focus must be on securing a permanent ceasefire.

“We reject any plans that force Palestinians to leave their homeland,” Fidan said.

Fidan expressed concern over Israel's escalating aggression and called for immediate international action to support peace efforts and reconstruction in Gaza. He reiterated Turkiye’s support for a sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and endorsed Arab League-backed reconstruction efforts.

The Forum gathered top diplomats from Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Indonesia, as well as officials from the OIC, Arab League, and representatives from the UAE, China, Russia, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Slovenia, Nigeria, and the European Union.

Earlier on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Egypt Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Aty, has reiterated his country’s firm rejection of plans aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land, whether permanently or temporarily, Anadolu reported.

The controversial idea of relocating Gaza residents was earlier floated by U.S. President Donald Trump, who proposed transforming Gaza into a tourist destination dubbed "Riviera" and displacing its 2.1 million residents.