President Prabowo’s White House visit next week expected to cement Jakarta’s role in proposed stabilisation force
JAKARTA – Indonesia has signaled it is prepared to deploy up to 8,000 troops to Gaza as part of a proposed international stabilisation force (ISF) linked to the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan—making it the first country to publicly pledge personnel.
The world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation is considering sending a brigade, estimated at 5,000 to 8,000 soldiers, to focus on humanitarian aid and infrastructure reconstruction. However, Indonesian army chief of staff General Maruli Simanjuntak stressed the plan remains tentative.
“Nothing is set in stone yet. So, the numbers aren’t final,” Maruli said.
The announcement comes as Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto prepares to travel to Washington on February 19 for the inaugural leaders’ meeting of the so-called ‘Board of Peace’—the entity created to oversee the ISF and coordinate international resources in post-conflict Gaza. Jakarta is also expected to pursue a bilateral trade agreement during the visit.
In Southeast Asia, only Indonesia and Vietnam are members of the board.
Stalled Ceasefire Casts Shadow over Force Plans
The UN Security Council authorised the establishment of the Board of Peace and a temporary international stabilisation force in November last year. But progress has since stalled.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect in October, has failed to move beyond its first phase. Both sides remain deeply divided over the next steps and have repeatedly accused each other of violating the terms.
While Israeli military strikes have become less frequent, bombardments continue daily. According to the UN, more than 80 per cent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, and living conditions for the enclave’s 2.3 million residents remain catastrophic.
It remains unclear how or when an international force could be deployed without a durable political agreement or a functioning ceasefire. No other nation has yet formally committed troops to the initiative.
With inputs from Reuters and AFP
