Indonesia readies 1,000 troops for potential Gaza peacekeeping force in April
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A member of the Indonesian National Armed Forces fires his weapon at a target downrange during joint live fire exercise with U.S. Marines in Pustalapur 5, Indonesia. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Alyssa Blom via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS)
JAKARTA - Indonesia is readying 1,000 troops for potential deployment in Gaza by early April as part of a proposed multinational peacekeeping force, its army spokesperson said on Monday.
The final deployment decision will be made by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, spokesperson Donny Pramono said, adding that a total of 8,000 soldiers will be ready for deployment by June.
"The departure schedule remains entirely subject to the political decisions of the state and applicable international mechanisms," he said in a text message to Reuters.
The comments were made as Prabowo prepares to head to Washington for the first official meeting this week of the Board of Peace, chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The board's creation was endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution as part of the Trump administration's plan to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Indonesia's foreign ministry on Saturday said its military's participation in the UN-mandated International Stabilization Force in Gaza should not be interpreted as a normalisation of political relations with any party.
Jakarta does not recognise or share any diplomatic relations with Israel.
"Indonesia consistently rejects all attempts at demographic change or the forced displacement or relocation of the Palestinian people in any form," the ministry said.
The deployment, which has a non-combatant, humanitarian mandate, could only be carried out with the consent of the Palestinian authority, the ministry said. Indonesian troops would also have no mandate to demilitarise any party, it added.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by David Stanway // REUTERS)
