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View all search resultsIndonesia readies troops for Gaza deployment
The Defense Ministry says it has prepared troops designated for a possible Gaza peacekeeping mission, awaiting only a final decision from President Prabowo Subianto expected at the end of the month.
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Palestinians ride on the back of a car-pulled cart in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 10, 2026. A United States-brokered ceasefire, which sought to halt the fighting between Israel and Hamas sparked by the group's October 2023 attack, took effect last October, reducing the level of bombing and fighting. (AFP/Bashar Taleb)
T
he government is preparing troops for a possible peacekeeping mission in Gaza, with the Defense Ministry saying it is ready to deploy them at any time, awaiting only a final decision from President Prabowo Subianto expected at the end of the month.
“The ministry, in coordination with the Indonesian Military [TNI] headquarters and its commander, has prepared our soldiers, such that they are ready to be deployed at any time,” Deputy Defense Minister Donny Hermawan said on Tuesday, following a meeting with House of Representatives Commission I overseeing foreign affairs and defense.
Anticipation over the next stage of Gaza’s post-ceasefire arrangements has grown in recent days following reports from Israeli media claiming that the Palestinian territory could receive peacekeeping troops within weeks, with Indonesian soldiers expected to be the first to arrive.
The deployment of troops, dubbed the International Stabilization Force (ISF) by initiator United States President Donald Trump, has been slated to help maintain stability during the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, which seeks demilitarization and the implementation of security measures, as well as establishing long-term governance in the territory.
Several countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt and Qatar, have signaled interest in joining the ISF, though only Jakarta has so far made a public offer at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last September to deploy more than 20,000 troops.
Amid foreign claims that Indonesia will likely be sending military personnel in the upcoming weeks, officials in Jakarta told reporters that, while the troops were ready, it still remained unclear how many personnel Indonesia would be sending to Gaza, or when.
Though Prabowo’s original pledge mentioned 20,000 soldiers, recent estimates from officials have varied widely, with Army chief of staff Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak saying it could be anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000, while Donny estimated only around 600.
