Indonesia Marks 80th Independence Day by Sending Aid to Gaza

Amman: The Garuda Merah Putih II Task Force successfully delivered 17.8 tons of humanitarian aid from the skies above Palestine on the 80th anniversary of Indonesian Independence. The inaugural flight of two Indonesian Hercules aircraft from King Abdullah II Air Base in Jordan took place at 10:37 a.m. local time.

The two C130J Hercules aircraft completed a two-hour flight and successfully delivered 17.8 tons of aid via airdrop system over Gaza, Palestine.

Garuda Merah Putih II Task Force Commander, Aviation Colonel Puguh Yulianto, also stated that operations would resume on August 18, 2025, and proposed additional operations for August 19-20.

It is hoped that this humanitarian operation will serve as a birthday gift for Indonesia and a commitment to continue supporting Palestine.

"This mission, as planned, will take place on approximately August 17-18, 2025. However, there is a possibility that we will fly again on the 19th-20th, subject to permission granted by the Royal Jordan Airforce," said Colonel Pnb Puguh Yulianto, quoted from Metro Pagi Primetime, Metro TV, Monday, August 18, 2025.

Humanitarian airdrop operations continued in Gaza on Sunday, even as the Israeli military prepared to take full control of the territory. Footage showed a military cargo plane dropping aid packages in several areas of the besieged territory.

The UAE-led "Birds of Kindness" initiative, part of Operation Knights 3, carried out the airdrop in coordination with Jordan and with the participation of Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, and Singapore.

On Friday, the Israeli military announced its first joint airdrop with Singapore, delivering 127 aid packages to Gaza provided by seven countries.

The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive that killed 1,139 people and took more than 200 hostages.

In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 61,944 Palestinians have been killed and 155,886 injured.