Indonesia is preparing 1,000 troops for a possible deployment to Gaza in early April as part of a proposed multinational peacekeeping force, Reuters reported Monday.
A final decision on the mission will be made by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, according to presidential spokesperson Donny Pramono, who added that up to 8,000 troops could be ready for deployment by June.
“The timing of deployment will remain entirely subject to state policy decisions and applicable international mechanisms,” Pramono said in a statement to Reuters.
The announcement comes ahead of President Prabowo’s planned visit to Washington, where he will attend a meeting of the Board of Peace led by U.S. President Donald Trump. The board was created following a UN Security Council resolution and is part of Trump’s plan to help end the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas.
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister emphasized last Saturday that participation in the UN-mandated International Stabilization Force should not be interpreted as normalization of political relations with any party. Indonesia does not recognize Israel and has no diplomatic relations with the country.
