Jakarta. Indonesia has successfully evacuated one family from war-torn Gaza, while another family of four still cannot leave the area of conflict due to administrative troubles.

The first family --which consists of an Indonesian man (Mr. Onim) who married a Palestinian woman and has three children-- is already in Cairo, Egypt, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi on Friday. The Indonesian diplomat admitted that Onim’s family had to go through multiple evacuation attempts before they could finally flee Gaza.

“They [Onim’s family] tried to go to the Rafah crossing on November 1 [on Wednesday] but had to return home because the situation was incredibly not conducive for the evacuation. … We tried again to evacuate them the next morning, but once again, it was impossible to do so. … We made the third evacuation attempt on [Thursday] afternoon. Praise be to God, it was a success,” Retno told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said that Onim’s family could only stay in Cairo for three days. Lalu said: “They have a three-day visa. It is up to the evacuees if they wish to return to Indonesia or rather go to other countries. The government’s responsibility is to bring our citizens to the closest safe location. And it is safe in Cairo.”

Still in Gaza
Another Indonesian family is still trapped in Gaza. The family in question encompasses an Indonesian man with a Palestinian spouse and 2 children. The family had already made it to the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing but had administrative problems. 

“There is an incredibly strict administration process that those who wish to leave Gaza have to go through. It involves many key stakeholders in Gaza. The names [of people leaving Gaza] need approval from many parties in Gaza,” Retno said.

“We will try to get this family out of Gaza again today,” she told the press.

There are also three Indonesian citizens who are MER-C (Medical Emergency Rescue Committee) volunteers. All three have decided to stay in Gaza. Retno added: “We will remain in touch with them.”

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