Volunteer medical worker Fikri Rofiul Haq has reported that Israeli tanks repeatedly fired on the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza last week. As the hospital faced a siege by Israeli troops, Haq and his fellow Indonesian colleagues from the Jakarta-based Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) had to make the difficult decision of whether to evacuate or stay with their patients. They chose to stay until the Israeli military forced them to leave.
Haq revealed that the Israeli forces deliberately destroyed the hospital’s only working generator by setting it on fire and indiscriminately shelled the first, second, and third floors of the building, resulting in the death of 12 people. The attacks escalated hour by hour, leaving the hospital devastated. Haq personally witnessed three large tanks firing periodically at the hospital, ultimately leading to its complete takeover by the Israeli army.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that Israeli fire in the final hours before the four-day truce with Hamas killed one woman and injured at least three other people. Journalist Osama Bin Javaid, who gained access to the facility, described a “stench of death” outside the hospital, with charred and decomposing bodies, including children, piling up in corners.
Sarbini Abdul Murad, the head of MER-C in Jakarta, condemned the attacks on the hospital as a violation of international law and called on Indonesia to hold Israel accountable. However, Indonesia’s leverage in this matter is limited since it does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and the hospital is not owned by Indonesia. It was donated to the people of Gaza and funded by donations from Indonesian citizens and humanitarian organizations.
Murad emphasized the importance of taking the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and urged countries, particularly the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, to lobby for a permanent ceasefire. Despite the risks, there are no plans to permanently evacuate the three Indonesian volunteers from Gaza, as they believe there is still crucial work to be done in providing humanitarian assistance to the wounded and displaced in Khan Younis.
As for Haq and his colleagues, they are currently assessing their situation and finding ways to continue helping the people of Gaza. They are grateful for the availability of food in their current location, having survived on dwindling rations at the besieged Indonesian Hospital. Local vendors around the European Hospital in Khan Younis are selling supplies, ensuring that they have enough to eat, including French fries, fried aubergines, fried peppers, rice with a little meat, and local food like bread and hummus.
The plight of the Indonesian Hospital serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on innocent civilians and the urgent need for a lasting solution to ensure the safety and well-being of all those affected.
