One hundred Palestinian residents of Gaza are set to leave the strip to work in Indonesia as part of a new pilot scheme, N12 reported on Wednesday.
This is part of a new voluntary migration project led by Major-General Ghassan Alian, head of Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is designed to incentivize thousands of Gazan citizens to leave for Indonesia.
Most of them will be working in construction, N12 added.
Under international law, anyone who leaves Gaza to work will be allowed to return. However, N12 adds that the hope is for long-term residence in Indonesia.
This nevertheless depends on the Indonesian government, which heads a country with the largest Muslim population in the world.
Previous Indonesian statements
In June 2024, Indonesia announced that it would absorb 1,000 victims of the war in Gaza for medical treatment, according to the Jakarta Post, citing statements by Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto.
“We are taking steps to channel assistance to Palestine,” Prabowo said, adding, “Indonesia has announced its readiness to evacuate 1,000 patients for medical treatment in Indonesia. They will be returned to Gaza after recovering, once the situation there stabilizes,”
He also stated that Indonesia would offer 1,000 Gazan children the opportunity to study in Indonesia and return when the time is right.
N12 added that the pilot scheme came after extensive talks with the Indonesian government, with which Israel has no formal diplomatic relations.
If the move is successful, Defense Minister Israel Katz's 'Emigration Directorate' will take over the reigns.