Indonesia’s Humanitarian Engagement with Palestine: Addressing Basic Needs amid Protracted Crisis

The article begins by explaining that the Israel–Palestine conflict is rooted in a long history of political, historical, and socio-religious factors. Palestine, formerly under Ottoman rule, came under British mandate after World War I, and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 laid the foundation for later geopolitical tensions by promising a national home for Jewish people in Palestine.

The establishment of Israel in 1948 and the displacement of Palestinian communities created long-term violence, expulsion, and resistance. The article emphasizes that repeated military operations, settlement expansion, and support from major powers have contributed to the marginalization of Palestinians. Gaza is presented as one of the most severe humanitarian consequences of this conflict, especially due to blockade, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

The article explains that the international community has responded to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis through various forms of assistance. Countries with historical, political, and religious ties to Palestine, especially Muslim-majority countries, have provided diplomatic and material support. Indonesia is highlighted as a major actor because of its Muslim-majority population and strong anti-colonial heritage.

Indonesia’s support for Palestine is expressed through humanitarian diplomacy and development assistance. Institutions such as BAZNAS distribute zakat, infaq, and sadaqah for food aid, healthcare, and infrastructure rebuilding. Indonesian NGOs such as MER-C have also worked directly in Gaza, including through the establishment of the Indonesian Hospital to treat war victims and respond to medical shortages.

The article argues that Indonesia’s humanitarian assistance is not only an act of charity. It reflects Indonesia’s national identity, normative foreign policy orientation, commitment to international humanitarian law, and Islamic values of solidarity and justice. Aid is therefore presented as both a response to urgent human needs and a political statement against occupation, injustice, and colonial legacy.

The study uses postcolonialism and constructivism as theoretical frameworks. Postcolonialism helps interpret Indonesian aid as a form of resistance to hegemonic power and as a continuation of anti-colonial solidarity. Constructivism explains how identity, shared values, and international norms shape Indonesia’s foreign policy behavior toward Palestine.

The article identifies a research gap in previous studies on Indonesia’s involvement in Palestine. Many studies focus on diplomacy or institutional performance, but fewer examine the direct impact of Indonesian assistance on the daily lives of Palestinians in Gaza. This study therefore focuses on how Indonesian aid contributes to basic needs such as food security, healthcare, shelter, and support for vulnerable groups.

The article argues that Indonesian humanitarian aid has a dual role. First, it provides practical relief for Palestinians suffering under occupation and blockade. Second, it reinforces Indonesia’s position as a moral actor in global politics. Through this dual function, Indonesia demonstrates how Global South countries can contribute to a more equitable international humanitarian order.

The article uses a qualitative-descriptive method based on secondary data. The data are drawn from scholarly literature, organizational reports, institutional documents, and journalistic accounts related to Indonesian humanitarian assistance, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, BAZNAS, MER-C, and Indonesia’s foreign policy toward Palestine.

The study is positioned within postcolonial and constructivist theoretical frameworks. Postcolonialism is used to understand Indonesian aid as anti-colonial solidarity and resistance to global hierarchy, while constructivism is used to examine how national identity, Islamic values, shared norms, and humanitarian principles shape Indonesia’s actions. The analysis evaluates not only the amount of aid provided, but also its effectiveness, symbolic meaning, and transformative potential for fulfilling basic needs in Gaza.

The article finds that Indonesia’s humanitarian aid to Palestine must be understood as postcolonial solidarity. As a country that experienced colonialism, Indonesia’s support for Palestine is rooted in shared memories of resistance against imperial domination. This solidarity is moral and political, and it is expressed through Indonesia’s consistent support for Palestinian self-determination in international forums.

From a postcolonial perspective, Indonesian aid to Gaza challenges global hierarchies in humanitarian assistance. It shows that countries from the Global South can act as meaningful contributors rather than only as aid recipients. Indonesia’s construction of hospitals, delivery of food packages, and public campaigns represent both immediate relief and an assertion of Global South agency.

BAZNAS is presented as an important institution that combines Islamic philanthropy with humanitarian responsibility. Through zakat, infaq, and sadaqah, BAZNAS has supported food, health services, and living assistance for Palestinians. Its cooperation with Palestinian grassroots organizations demonstrates a model of transnational solidarity that avoids purely top-down aid practices.

Constructivism helps explain why Indonesia continues to support Palestine even though it has limited direct geopolitical interests in Gaza. Indonesia’s national identity as a Muslim-majority country with anti-colonial principles shapes its foreign policy behavior. Shared values, collective memory, domestic political culture, and moral expectations influence the country’s humanitarian commitment.

Indonesian civil society plays a central role in humanitarian engagement with Palestine. Organizations such as MER-C, ACT, and BAZNAS mobilize resources, shape public discourse, and implement aid programs. These organizations function not only as service providers but also as norm entrepreneurs that spread ideas of solidarity, justice, and humanitarian responsibility.

Indonesia’s humanitarian action also strengthens its soft power. The construction of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza and solidarity campaigns have helped portray Indonesia as a moral leader among Global South and Muslim-majority nations. Aid becomes a tool of identity projection and international legitimacy, not only an instrument of relief.

Humanitarian diplomacy allows Indonesia to influence global debates despite its limited hard power. Through aid, Indonesia participates in discussions about justice, human rights, and development. Its support for Gaza helps reinforce Indonesia’s image in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

The article emphasizes that Indonesia’s national identity strongly legitimizes its support for Palestine. The 1945 Constitution’s rejection of colonialism supports Indonesia’s consistent position against occupation. This makes support for Palestine appear not only as foreign policy, but also as a continuation of Indonesia’s own anti-colonial struggle.

The religious dimension further strengthens Indonesia’s humanitarian engagement. Islamic values such as ukhuwah Islamiyah, compassion, and justice are used to mobilize public empathy and resources. Humanitarian programs by BAZNAS and MER-C are therefore both operational and religiously meaningful, increasing public trust and participation.

The impact of Indonesian aid is visible in food security, healthcare, psychosocial support, and local institutional strengthening. Food packages distributed through BAZNAS and partners have helped reduce short-term hunger among displaced and vulnerable people. These efforts are especially important for children, elderly people, and nursing mothers affected by blockade-related shortages.

Healthcare is one of the most important areas of Indonesian contribution. MER-C’s Indonesian Hospital in Gaza has become a major healthcare facility in northern Gaza, serving victims of military attacks and civilians needing medical treatment. Indonesian support for medical infrastructure, including the Cardiac Center at As-Shifa Hospital, shows a move from emergency relief toward longer-term health capacity.

The article also notes limitations and challenges. Israeli control over Gaza’s borders, maritime access, and airspace limits the flow of goods, personnel, and construction materials. Repeated military escalations can destroy years of development progress. Therefore, Indonesian aid must be connected with stronger monitoring, evaluation, diplomatic advocacy, and long-term strategies so that humanitarian assistance does not remain only reactive crisis management.

Indonesia’s humanitarian assistance to Palestine represents more than an act of compassion; it is a moral and political expression of postcolonial solidarity and Islamic humanitarianism. In responding to the protracted humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Indonesia has leveraged both state-led initiatives and civil society networks to provide material support and international visibility to the Palestinian cause. The multifaceted nature of this aid, ranging from emergency relief to infrastructure development, reflects a growing commitment to strategic humanitarian engagement.

Through the lens of postcolonialism, Indonesia’s support can be seen as a counter-narrative to global hierarchies that marginalize the agency of formerly colonized nations. By standing with Palestine, Indonesia reaffirms its historical position against occupation and foreign domination. Simultaneously, constructivist theory reveals how Indonesia’s identity, shaped by Islamic values and anti-imperialist ideology, drives and legitimizes its international behavior in conflict zones such as Gaza.

Despite the structural limitations imposed by the geopolitical situation in Gaza, particularly the Israeli blockade and periodic military escalations, Indonesian humanitarian efforts have contributed significantly to the fulfillment of basic needs among the most vulnerable segments of the population. Food security, healthcare access, psychosocial support, and institutional partnerships all stand as evidence of this impact. Moreover, such assistance reinforces Indonesia’s international image as a responsible and ethically grounded actor in the Global South.

However, the path forward must include more systematic evaluation of aid effectiveness and a concerted effort to link humanitarian action with diplomatic advocacy for structural change. Indonesia’s potential lies not only in its ability to deliver aid, but in its capacity to amplify calls for justice and peace through multilateral institutions and transnational civil society networks. Future research may explore how Indonesia’s humanitarian diplomacy can evolve into a broader foreign policy tool for shaping global humanitarian norms. Indonesian humanitarian assistance to Gaza is not only relevant in addressing urgent needs on the ground, but also in advancing a model of humanitarianism rooted in solidarity, justice, and identity. It serves as a reminder that Global South countries can play an active role in global crises, not as passive recipients, but as principled contributors shaping the contours of international ethics and responsibility.

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