VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Several hundred students of Islamic boarding schools under the ownership of Pesantren Wahdah Islamiyah Foundation (YPWI) in Makassar City, South Sulawesi, have joined the world's solidarity for Palestine.

The students voluntarily participated in the fund-raising for Palestine by collecting Rp50,399,500 in donations, Manager of Event and Partnership of the Wahdah Inspirasi Zakat's Alms Agency (WIZ) Arsal Salama remarked.

Salama, here on Friday, lauded the schools that had joined the fund-raising movement for Palestine to help those in need in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is home to more than two million people.

Apart from donating funds, the students also performed prayers for the safety of Palestinians in Gaza and occupied West Bank whose lives are threatened by the brutal Israeli bombardment and Israeli settlers' attacks, he stated.

Meanwhile, Director of the Wahdah Inspirasi Zakat's Alms Agency (WIZ) Syahruddin remarked that his agency had collected Indonesian people's donations for Palestine and had gradually distributed staple food packages to those in need in Gaza through its local partners there.

Since the start of the Palestinian and Israeli war on Oct 7, he said WIZ had initiated to provide the affected Palestinians with food, medicine, and other logistic needs.

"We are deeply concerned with Palestinian civilians falling victim to the brutal bombardment of the Israeli occupation forces there. We are deeply saddened by what has been happening there," he said.

It is not easy to get access to Gaza for the humanitarian mission due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment. However, God Almighty paves the way for that mission, Syahruddin remarked.

Palestine and Israel's new armed conflict erupted again following a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel early in the morning of October 7.

Prior to the assaults by Palestinian liberation fighters, Israel had continued its closure of Gaza crossings.

Palestine's news agency WAFA reported on September 25 that the Israeli closure of Gaza crossings had worsened the living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza.

According to WAFA, the Palestinians had already suffered from the severe impacts of "more than 17 years of tight Israeli land, sea, and air blockades."

Al Jazeera quoted Hamas, which governs Gaza, as stating that its assault on Israel was "a response to the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence."

In response to the unprecedented surprise attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas and, according to Al Jazeera, pledged that the Israeli forces would "turn all Hamas hideouts into rubble." (Antaranews)