Jakarta. Indonesia has just announced that it would possibly evacuate its citizens from Gaza today, although plans might change depending on the situation on the ground.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, there are 10 Indonesians currently residing in Gaza. Only seven of the Indonesians are willing to be evacuated. The three others who choose to stay are volunteers at the humanitarian organization Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C).  The seven evacuees comprise two Indonesian families who have local spouses.

“The evacuation process will possibly start today. But let me highlight the word ‘possibly’. Once again, we cannot predict the situation on the ground,” Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Retno said the only possible way of getting its citizens out of Gaza was through the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

“To prepare for a possible evacuation, we have deployed our team from Cairo to Rafah. Once again, the only way out is through Rafah,” Retno said. 

The team in question had also already arrived in Rafah. The diplomat also told reporters that all Indonesian nationals in Gaza were safe and sound, although the government had difficulties contacting them.

“We are always in touch with them. Although our contacts [with the said citizens] are on-and-off,” Retno said.

Judha Nugraha, the director for citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said that the evacuation process would uphold the citizens’ safety. Judha told reporters that: “It would be impossible to move people when the situation on the ground is risky.”

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