Indonesia is preparing to deploy up to 8,000 soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of a multinational peacekeeping force under a peace plan backed by US President Donald Trump.
Indonesia is preparing to deploy up to 8,000 soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of a multinational peacekeeping force.
A spokesperson for Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday told Reuters that the country would contribute 8,000 soldiers to the Gaza peacekeeping force of around 20,000 personnel. They added that the terms or areas of the deployment have not yet been finalised.
Under a plan approved by the United Nations (UN) and backed by US President Donald Trump, a multinational force called the ‘International Stabilisation Force’ (ISF) would take over Gaza as part of a multi-phase peace process. It would be overseen by Trump’s controversial Board of Peace.
While the government did not give many specifics, Indonesian army chief General Maruli Simanjuntak said training for the soldiers had already begun and that they would focus on medical and engineering roles in Gaza, according to Guardian, according to BBC News.
Separately, the defence ministry denied Israeli media reports that the country’s soldiers would be posted in Gaza’s Rafah and Khan Younis areas.
“Indonesia’s plans to contribute to peace and humanitarian support in Gaza are still in the preparation and coordination stages. Operational matters (deployment location, number of personnel, schedule, mechanism) have not yet been finalised and will be announced once an official decision has been made and the necessary international mandate has been clarified,” defence ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirat told Reuters.
Trump’s Board of Peace will hold its first meeting on February 19. Prabowo, who has agreed to join the Board, has been invited to the meeting.
Other than Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey are believed to be considering deploying soldiers to Gaza as part of a multinational force.
Previously, CNN-News 18 reported that Pakistan was preparing to send up to 20,000 soldiers to Gaza’s ISF under a deal with the United States and Israel.
On its part, Turkey has said its soldiers would only serve as peacekeepers and not be part of the planned disarmament of Hamas.
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