MER-C: Aid Delivery to Gaza Drops Sharply Amid War in Iran

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The Chairman of the MER-C Indonesia Presidium, Hadiki Habib, revealed that the US-Israel military aggression against Iran has caused a reduction in Israel’s sporadic attacks on innocent Palestinians in Gaza. Nevertheless, the escalating Middle East conflict has significantly impacted the delivery of logistical aid to the enclave. “The current situation in Gaza shows that sporadic attacks from the Israeli side temporarily decreased substantially during the US-Iran conflict,” Hadiki said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (1/4/2026). He explained that the impact of this conflict has instead led Israel to tighten Gaza’s borders even further, resulting in a drastic decline in logistical aid deliveries to the enclave. “This condition has caused food supplies inside Gaza to become increasingly limited, while the prices of still-available food items continue to rise,” he stated. This situation is seen as having a major impact on the lives of Gaza residents, who are now entering a phase of “tightening their belts” due to economic pressures and shortages of basic necessities. He also added that the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza is currently located in the yellow line area, an imaginary boundary set by Israel that protrudes into Gaza territory. As a result, the habitable area in Gaza is estimated to be only about 50% of what it was before 7 October 2023. According to him, the hospital building remains intact. However, there has been no activity at the site to date. In May 2025, the Indonesian team stationed at the facility was evacuated by Palestinian health authorities due to a security situation deemed “highly unconducive.” “Along with the evacuation of humanitarian and health personnel, several medical equipment items were also relocated from the site for safety reasons,” he said.