Five women in hijabs can be seen chatting and engaging in light conversation. Three women are seated on a long wooden bench, while two others are in wheelchairs. Two of the three women on the wooden bench are dressed in green outfits and black trousers. At first glance, the green attire with the emblem of the red and white flag on the right side resembles that of hospital nurses. Positioned directly in front of the three women sitting on the long bench is a walking aid (onemed rollator walker) that resembles a towel drying rack at first glance.

Behind the five women, several people are playing beach volleyball on the white sandy shore. Some beach volleyball players are children, while others are adults dressed in outfits resembling nurses. With its crashing waves, the open sea is accompanied by cargo ship horns, creating a lively backdrop to the people's activities. The atmosphere at the beach is further enhanced by the bright weather, with streaks of orange coloring the sky.

That captures a glimpse of the activities of nurses from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Indonesia mingling with several refugees from Gaza and Palestine around the Port of El Arish in northeastern Egypt on Sunday (August 11, 2024). These Palestinian refugees are receiving care at the SSF Ania, a floating hospital with a capacity of 100 beds owned by the UAE government.

According to Arab News, the SSF Ania has been stationed in El Arish, approximately 40 kilometers from the border between Palestine and Egypt in Rafah, southern Gaza, since 25 February. This floating hospital is part of the UAE's humanitarian operation titled Gallant Knight 3, which began on 3 December 2023, and includes the construction of two Sahara-type field hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Their first patient was a 20-year-old Palestinian man who was injured in the shoulder and required surgery.

According to Doctor Falah Al-Mahmoud, the director of SSF Ania, the Ro-Ro-based ship is equipped with an intensive care unit, operating room, radiology unit, medical rehabilitation facilities, laboratory, and pharmacy. Since its operation until the first week of August 2024, it has treated and performed surgeries on 3,700 patients. Some of the healthcare workers on the SSF Ania are from Indonesia and were sent by the Indonesian government through the Defense Ministry.

The participation of these healthcare workers is part of the Indonesian government's commitment to humanitarian missions aimed at assisting the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip. According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, since the outbreak of the Israeli invasion in Gaza on 7 October 2023, over 39,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. More than 80 percent of the residents of Gaza have been displaced, and nearly 100,000 people have sustained injuries.

The Director General of Defense Strategy at the Defense Ministry, Major General Ujang Darwis, stated that they have prepared 40 healthcare workers, including nurses and specialist doctors, to be deployed in Egypt and Rafah. These 40 healthcare workers will be sent in two phases, with the first phase involving 25 personnel, including four female healthcare workers. The dispatched personnel come from the Indonesian Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Before deployment, they underwent five training days at the Indonesian Military (TNI) Peacekeeping Mission Center (PMPP) in Sentul, Bogor Regency, West Java. “The second deployment will occur once the field hospital in Rafah is assessed as safe for our personnel. So, from those 25 individuals, 15 will be sent to the field hospital in Rafah. The remaining ten individuals from Indonesia will then be dispatched to join the floating hospital in El Arish,” said Ujang, as reported by Antara.

The 25 healthcare workers, led by Colonel CKM Doctor Adry Pasmawi from the Army Central Hospital (RSPAD) Gatot Subroto, were dispatched via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten on Friday, (9 August), at around 00:45 local time using Etihad Airways. After approximately six hours of travel, the Indonesian healthcare workers arrived in Abu Dhabi for a transit stop. Following a rest period, they resumed their journey on Saturday morning (10 August), local time.

They used a military transport aircraft from the UAE Air Force, specifically a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which took them directly to El Arish. Upon arrival, the Indonesian healthcare workers immediately went to SSF Ania for a briefing. The next day, in addition to the briefing, they conducted initial introductions with the patients being treated in the floating hospital.

During a briefing for the healthcare workers on Wednesday (7 August), Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto stated that this deployment manifests Indonesia's solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle. “Indonesia must demonstrate a spirit of solidarity and humanity in defending the spirit of independence, the right of a nation to live, and to determine its destiny without oppression,” said Minister Prabowo.

During the occasion, Prabowo expressed his gratitude and wished success to all healthcare workers who would be deployed. In addition to specialist doctors and nurses, the group from the Defense Ministry also includes general practitioners and midwives. These healthcare workers will serve in El Arish and Rafah for four months, adapting to the situation in the deployment areas.

According to a statement from Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha, the head of the Defense Ministry's Public Relations Bureau, the Defense Ministry will rotate the healthcare workers stationed at the floating hospital in El Arish for those stationed at the field hospital in Rafah. Edwin explained that the healthcare workers at SSF Ania have reviewed all the facilities of the floating hospital and interacted with the patients being treated and rehabilitated.

These healthcare workers are expected to fulfill their noble duties as Indonesia's humanitarian ambassadors by assisting the Palestinian people who receive care at the international healthcare facilities provided in Egypt and at the border with Rafah.

Writer: Anton Setiawan

Editors: Ratna Nuraini/Elvira Inda Sari/Erik Limantara

Translator: Wisnu Wardoyo