In order to evacuate the family, we have to obtain approval from the parties in Gaza. We did not experience this during previous evacuations
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government continues to make efforts to evacuate an Indonesian family from the Gaza Strip after its successful attempt at evacuating four of its citizens to Cairo, Egypt.

"We are currently making efforts to evacuate an Indonesian family that consists of three Indonesian nationals -- a husband and two children -- and a Palestinian wife," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi remarked in a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

Earlier, on Thursday (November 2), the family, comprising Muhammad Hussein and his wife and two children, arrived at a border gate in Rafah. However, due to administrative issues, they were unable to cross over to Egypt.

The government continues to find solutions to the issues, Marsudi remarked.

She then noted that the evacuation process from Gaza, which has become the battlefield between Israeli forces and Palestinian Hamas, is different from other evacuation processes.

"We have to go through strict administrative processes and coordinate with plenty of key parties in Gaza to execute the evacuation. In order to evacuate the family, we have to obtain approval from the parties in Gaza. We did not experience this during previous evacuations," she pointed out.

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Hence, the government is striving to make the most of all its connections in Gaza to succeed in the complicated evacuation process, she highlighted.

The minister also said that her side continues to maintain communication with the family that lives in Southern Gaza, which could be reached in 20 minutes by land from Rafah under normal situation.

"Hopefully, today, Friday, an off day in Arabic countries, the gate in Rafah will remain open. I conveyed this hope to the Foreign Affairs Minister of Egypt last night. I have requested the minister that the Egyptian side of the gate opens on Friday," she stated.

Marsudi had earlier announced the government's success in evacuating four Indonesians and a Palestinian wife from Gaza to Egypt.

The evacuees were moved from Palestine on Friday dawn and are currently taking refuge at the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo.

Currently, three Indonesians, who are volunteers of the Indonesia's Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), are staying in Gaza. They chose to continue their humanitarian duties at an Indonesian hospital in the besieged enclave.

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Translator: Yashinta Difa, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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