JAKARTA – The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) in Indonesia vehemently rejects the allegations made by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) concerning the Indonesia Hospital in North Gaza, Palestine.
On November 5, the IDF published a map indicating that the hospital is dispersed over three distinct places and accused Hamas of exploiting the building for its underground central command and control centre.
Edy Wahyudi, MER-C engineer and site manager for the hospital’s development, emphasised the management’s deep understanding of both construction and ongoing maintenance.
Disputing the IDF’s claim about Hamas utilising the building’s basement, he asserted that the hospital is situated in one area, and the two other locations mentioned are not part of its premises.
He also clarified that the construction was funded by the Indonesian people and commenced in February 2011, correcting the IDF’s assertion of a 2010 start date.
“The tender for the hospital’s development started in February 2011, as advertised in Palestine local newspaper on Feb 2, 2011. The hospital’s structural development on 1.6 hectares in Gaza, provided by the Palestinian Authority, began in May 2011,” Edy stated.
Addressing accusations of an underground tunnel and the arched structures found by the IDF at the two other sites, he affirmed that these locations and structures were unrelated to the hospital’s development. He highlighted the Palestinian government’s encouragement to utilise Gaza’s existing sewage system, built similarly to modern cities in Europe for wastewater treatment.
“No unusual conditions or tunnel infrastructure were found up to eight metres underground during the hospital development,” he clarified.
Edy mentioned that Israel bombed the location near the hospital in 2014 during its invasion of Gaza, while the hospital was still under construction. This clarification aimed to provide context regarding potential damage if the IDF were to airstrike the alleged underground tunnel facility.
In response to the IDF’s voice note about stolen fuel at the hospital, he expressed scepticism about the recording and recommended verification by independent digital forensic experts.
Touching on a power crisis at the hospital, Edy mentioned that only one of the three generators is operational due to a lack of diesel in the area. This single generator is insufficient to meet the hospital’s electricity needs.
“As of Thursday, the remaining diesel stock at the hospital is only 1,100 litres, sufficient for just one day. It will be depleted by Friday if there’s no diesel to power the generator,” stated the hospital’s director, Dr. Atef Al Kahlout.
Data from November 7 showed that 1,784 patients brought to the hospital had passed away, including 397 women and 637 children. The number of injuries was 4,666, involving 651 women and 1,005 children.
As of Tuesday, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Palestinian authorities in Gaza are currently responsible for managing the hospital, with occasional assistance from Indonesian volunteers. – Bernama
