Indonesia prepares to deploy 1,000 troops to Gaza for Trump’s ‘stabilization force’
Other nations have refused to participate in the force, fearing they would be required to ‘disarm Hamas’ and carry out operations against Palestinians on Israel’s behalf.
Indonesia is preparing to deploy 1,000 troops to Gaza as early as April as part of US President Donald Trump’s International Stabilization Force (ISF), Reuters reported on 16 February, citing an army spokesperson.
The Indonesian military plans to have a total of 8,000 soldiers ready for deployment in the devastated strip by June.
“The departure schedule remains entirely subject to the political decisions of the state and applicable international mechanisms,” the spokesman told the British news agency.
Trump proposed the establishment of the ISF as part of his 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza that took effect in October. However, few nations have been willing to commit troops, fearing they would be tasked with disarming Hamas on Israel’s behalf.
On Saturday, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s troops will not participate in disarming Hamas. Instead, they will be tasked with fulfilling a non-combatant, humanitarian mandate that will only be carried out with the consent of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
“Indonesian troops will not be involved in combat operations or any action leading to direct confrontation with any armed group,” the statement said.
The ministry added that its participation in the ISF in Gaza should not be considered as a normalization of political relations with Israel.
It also rejected Israel’s efforts to ethnically cleanse Gaza in preparation for establishing settlements for Jewish Israelis.
“Indonesia consistently rejects all attempts at demographic change or the forced displacement or relocation of the Palestinian people in any form,” the ministry affirmed.
However, Middle East Eye (MEE) observed that the mandate of Trump’s proposed stabilization force includes ensuring “the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip,” “the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,” and the use of “all necessary measures to carry out its mandate.”
Indonesia confirmed last week that President Prabowo Subianto will attend the inaugural meeting of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace,’ which will oversee the ISF.
Subianto was one of the world leaders who signed the ‘Board of Peace’ charter in Davos, Switzerland, in January.
The Indonesian president also said he will seek to negotiate the board’s reported $ 1 billion membership fee.
By joining the ‘Board of Peace,’ Indonesia is helping place Gaza under US control – despite President Trump having enabled Israel’s destruction of the strip by supplying the Israeli military with a near-continuous flow of US weapons.
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation and has been a consistent supporter of the Palestinian cause. However, Jakarta’s participation in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ potentially contradicts Indonesia’s constitution, which explicitly rejects all forms of colonialism and emphasizes international justice.