Jakarta. Indonesia is preparing alternatives to Galang Island for the country’s plan to temporarily shelter thousands of injured Gazans for medical care, according to Foreign Minister Sugiono on Thursday.

Earlier that day, President Prabowo Subianto’s spokesman Hasan Nasbi unveiled the government's plan to bring in as many as 2,000 wounded Gazans, including their family members, for medical treatment. Hasan revealed that Indonesia would turn the Galang Island -- which lies in the Riau Islands’ province -- into a medical facility. The island has hosted Covid-19 patients and Vietnamese refugees in the past. 

Later in the day, Sugiono revealed to reporters that the government was considering other locations for the medical center. However, he admitted that the government still needed to work on the technical details.

“President Prabowo indeed mentioned Galang Island, and we are now taking a look at the option. We turned the island into a Covid-19 treatment facility, so it already has the infrastructure ready,” Sugiono told the press in his office.

“We are also considering other alternatives,” he added.

Sugiono did not say which other cities or islands Indonesia would offer to house the Gazans. He also asserted that the proposal was not something out of the blue. Prabowo had already floated the plan back in April before going on a Middle East trip, with Jordan, Egypt, and Qatar as some of his stops. Prabowo said at the time that Indonesia would seek approval from countries close to Gaza, as well as a nod from the Palestinian authorities, before actually bringing in Gazans onto Indonesian soil.

There were some discrepancies in the number of Gazans entering the country. Hasan mentioned 2,000 individuals, double the number in Prabowo’s earlier announcements.

During the news conference, Sugiono insisted that what Prabowo had proposed was to temporarily host 1,000 Gazans. The minister alluded that the difference could stem from Hasan including the family members in his calculations.

“The preparations are still underway, so nothing is final yet,” Sugiono said, while admitting to lacking information on how many health workers they would need.

The war-torn enclave's Health Ministry reported that Israel's war on Gaza has injured 152,045 individuals since October 7, 2023.

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