- UI international law professor Hikmahanto Juwana urged Indonesia to ensure the Gaza Peace Council does not become a tool to uproot Gaza’s residents.
- He raised concerns over a Kushner-presented vision of a skyscraper-filled Gaza, warning it could price locals out and enable outside control.
- Prabowo signed the council’s charter at WEF 2026 in Davos, saying Indonesia is committed to peace efforts for Palestinians.
International law professor Hikmahanto Juwana of the University of Indonesia has urged the Indonesian government to ensure the Gaza Peace Council—an initiative attributed to United States President Donald Trump—does not become a vehicle for pushing Gaza residents off their land.
He pointed to a presentation delivered ahead of the signing of the Gaza Peace Council charter in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. The presentation, delivered by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, outlined a sweeping vision of transforming Gaza into a new metropolis filled with skyscrapers.
“Do the Palestinian people in Gaza agree to this?” Hikmahanto said in a written response to questions from Antara in Jakarta on Friday. He warned that if residents do not consent, the “fantastic new city” could end up severing Palestinians from their roots.
Hikmahanto expressed concern that a transformation of that scale could make it impossible for Gaza’s population to access land and housing at affordable costs. He cautioned that it could instead open the door for anyone with financial power—including Israeli citizens—to gain control of Gaza through money rather than force.
He added that city-building must not erase the lives and social fabric of the communities that already inhabit the area—namely, Gaza’s residents themselves.
Hikmahanto also questioned whether Gaza’s reconstruction could ultimately follow Israel’s preferences, including ambitions to dominate the territory after failing to take control of Gaza due to resistance from Hamas fighters.
He stressed that any steps to rebuild Gaza must ultimately lead to the realization of full Palestinian independence, and that Indonesia should ensure the Gaza Peace Council’s activities remain anchored to that goal.
“All of this requires a deep study by the Indonesian government so that Gaza’s reconstruction truly upholds the dignity of its people and becomes a pathway to Palestinian independence,” he said.
Accompanied by President Trump, President Prabowo Subianto signed the Gaza Peace Council Charter on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos on Thursday, making Indonesia officially part of the organization.
Prabowo said the Gaza Peace Council represents a historic opportunity to achieve peace in Gaza, adding that Indonesia has a strong commitment to contributing to those efforts for the benefit of the Palestinian people.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara