Indonesia Denies Israeli Claims of Gaza Worker Relocation Scheme
Jakarta refutes reports of receiving Palestinians for construction work, rejecting alleged Israeli plans to promote Gaza emigration through a pilot program.
Watan-The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday denied Israeli claims that around 100 Palestinians from Gaza were being transferred to Jakarta to work in the construction sector as part of a “pilot program.” The ministry affirmed that no agreements or discussions had taken place with any party—including Israel—regarding the relocation of Gaza residents to Indonesia.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal (Ruliansyah Soemirat), stated Thursday:“The Indonesian government has not discussed or received any information from any party regarding a plan to relocate Gaza residents to Indonesia, as reported by several foreign media outlets.”
He added in an official statement that Indonesia is currently focused on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, the entry of humanitarian aid, and ensuring the immediate start of reconstruction efforts in the area.
The statement came in response to Israeli media claims that a “pilot program” to encourage voluntary migration from Gaza had begun. According to Israel’s Channel 12, 100 Gazans had already traveled to Indonesia, allegedly to work in construction, and that Israeli authorities were seeking to prevent their return to Gaza.
Channel 12 also claimed that the person overseeing the relocation initiative was Major General Ghassan Alian, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), and that the goal of the project was to encourage thousands of Gazans to voluntarily emigrate to Indonesia for construction work—if the pilot phase proved successful. The report further alleged that prior discussions had taken place with the Indonesian government, despite Indonesia having no official diplomatic relations with Israel—a claim firmly denied by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.
Israeli Cabinet Approves “Voluntary Relocation Directorate” for Gaza
This comes after the Israeli Security Cabinet (the “Cabinet”) approved a proposal last Saturday by Israeli Minister of Security Yisrael Katz to establish a “Directorate” for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, as part of Israeli displacement plans that were previously supported by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The proposed directorate would organize what is being termed “voluntary relocation” of Gaza residents to third countries, for those who “express willingness” to leave. However, this language is widely viewed as a cover for forced displacement, given the ongoing war crimes, including siege, starvation, dehydration, and the destruction of civilian and medical infrastructure, designed to push Palestinians out of their land—which Israel has turned into ruins.
