Indonesia prepares 20,000 soldiers for possible Gaza Strip mission
Indonesia says no decision has yet been made on when its troops will be deployed and what mandate they will have, underscoring the uncertainty over establishing an international presence in Gaza
Jakarta (dpa) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered his country's armed forces to have 20,000 soldiers ready for a possible UN peacekeeping mission in the Gaza Strip, Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Friday.
Speaking at the Defence Ministry in Jakarta, Sjamsoeddin said the force would include personnel with medical and engineering expertise to support large-scale humanitarian operations, the Indonesian news agency Antara reported.
The contingent is being prepared to treat war victims, restore essential services and help rebuild key infrastructure needed for daily life in the enclave.
Indonesia's involvement would focus on protecting the civilian population and supporting international efforts to secure lasting peace.
No timeable set yet
He added that no timetable had yet been set for the mission, and that Prabowo would make the final decision as soon as the UN specified its requirements.
The president had told the UN General Assembly in September that Indonesia was ready to send peacekeepers to Gaza and other conflict areas.
The Gaza war was triggered by the killings by terrorists from the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas and other groups on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed in Israel and more than 250 people were abducted.
A ceasefire has been in place since October 10. However, there have been several outbreaks of deadly violence since then.
There are no UN peacekeeping forces in the Gaza Strip yet. The G7 countries are in favour of quickly securing the Middle East peace plan for the Gaza Strip through a UN Security Council mandate.
The G7 countries include the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and Canada. As nuclear powers, the US, France and the UK are permanent members of the UN Security Council alongside China and Russia.