Jakarta. The Indonesian Navy revealed Tuesday that the military had prepared three hospital ships for the war-struck Gaza.

However, the Navy is still waiting for instructions from the central government before it can deploy the ships.

“The [hospital] warships that we have are dr Soeharso-990, dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991, and dr Radjiman Wedyodiningrat-992. All three are ready for humanitarian operations,” Navy spokesperson Tunggul said, as reported by the state-run news agency Antara.

Tunggul said that the ships were already equipped with full medical facilities, including helicopters that could evacuate patients. Earlier, military commander Agus Subiyanto had said that Indonesia would have a helicopter and the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft ready. They would carry both logistics and the peacekeepers.

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy also planned on sending three brigades, as well as a three-star military general to lead the mission. The military already has some candidates, while admitting to prioritizing those who have experience with foreign missions. 

In early 2024, Indonesia had deployed the dr Radjiman Wedyodiningrat-992 hospital ship to Palestine. The ship had carried humanitarian aid such as food, medicines, tents, and other supplies. The vessel returned to Indonesia in March of that year.