4 hours ago
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January 20, 2025 | 06:20 pm
Tempo.co, Jakarta - President-elect Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, referenced Indonesia in his statement about Gaza. He is contemplating a visit to the war-torn Gaza Strip as part of his efforts to maintain the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. This information comes from a transition official who is directly involved in the ceasefire process, as reported by NBC.
Steve Witkoff suggested involving Indonesia to help relocate 2 million residents of Gaza. These residents will be temporarily moved during the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
"The question of how to rebuild Gaza remains unanswered, aside from where around 2 million Palestinians can be temporarily relocated. Indonesia, for example, is one of the locations being discussed for some of them," said the transition official, as quoted by NBC.
Witkoff plans to spend several weeks in the Middle East to address the ongoing unrest. He believes that the instability could jeopardize the agreement and delay the release of hostages held by Hamas at any moment.
At the same time, Witkoff is striving to establish long-term stability for both Israeli citizens and the 2 million Palestinian refugees. The ceasefire agreement will unfold in three phases.
The first phase, which began on Sunday, will last approximately six weeks. It involves the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians detained by Israel. During this first phase, negotiations for the second phase will also take place. The second phase is expected to lead to the release of additional hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The final phase, which also requires negotiation, aims to end the war and initiate the rebuilding of Gaza.
Currently, the primary concern of Trump's envoy is the high crime rates resulting from daily interactions between Israeli and Palestinian citizens in Gaza and its surrounding areas, even with the ceasefire agreement in effect. "Keep in mind that there are many individuals—radicals and extremists—not only from Hamas but also from the right-wing factions in Israel, who are eager to undermine this entire agreement," stated the transition official.
Visiting Gaza will allow Witkoff to observe the situation on the ground firsthand. He prefers to witness it directly instead of relying on the narratives from Israel or Palestine.
It remains uncertain whether the people of Gaza are open to relocation. The idea of moving is highly controversial among Palestinians and other Arabs. Many believe that such relocation would be the first step toward Israel forcing them off their land.
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