Why is Indonesia offering to send thousands of troops into Gaza?

DW News · Feb 19, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Just a few days before the president of Indonesia was supposed to go to Washington for the first meeting of the so-called "Board of Peace," a council created and chaired by US President Donald Trump, the spokesperson for the Indonesian military made a controversial announcement. Army spokesperson Donny Pramono said Indonesia was ready to deploy as many as 1,000 soldiers to Gaza by April, and could increase that to 8,000 by the end of June this year. The Trump administration had previously said that several countries had promised to send troops to be part of a so-called stabilization force in Gaza. The force and the Board of Peace project are both part of a US-supported peace plan for Gaza that the United Nations Security Council approved last November. The Indonesian announcement made it the first country in the world to go public with an offer to send troops. If it goes ahead, the deployment would also be one of the largest contributions to a peacekeeping force in the world. The deployment still has to get final approval from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. "The departure schedule remains entirely subject to the political decisions of the state and applicable international mechanisms," Pramono told news agency Reuters.Is the Board of Peace Trump’s private UN?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A risky move? The Indonesian announcement is controversial for a number of reasons. The Indonesian public hasn't been completely positive about the idea, Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of international law at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, points out. "At the grassroots level, there is suspicion that the Board of Peace serves as an extension of Netanyahu’s plan through President Donald Trump," Juwana explained. Recently around 100 locals protested outside the US embassy in Jakarta, saying that the Board of Peace was only there to do the bidding of the Israeli and US governments. There are also concerns that this offer may somehow be part of a trade deal. The Indonesian foreign ministry says Prabowo is expected to sign a trade agreement with the US during his visit to Washington. Critics have suggested the Trump administration might impose higher tariffs on the country if Indonesia is uncooperative, Juwana noted. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) is going to be in Washington to attend the first meeting of the 'Board of Peace' on February 19, 2026Image: Suzanne Plunkett/empics/picture alliance Indonesia's Gaza gamble But there are also positives to the Indonesian announcement, observers say. Indonesia has long supported the idea of Palestinian statehood and, because it's so far away from the Middle East, it could be seen as more of a neutral party. "Indonesia is distant [from Gaza] but it is acceptable to all parties, including Israel. And so far, Israel has remained silent regarding these Indonesian statements," says Mohamad Kawas, a journalist based in the UK and regular commentator on politics for Arabic-language television. The same could not be said of proposals for Turkey to participate in a peacekeeping force in Gaza, Kawas noted. Over 80% of all buildings in Gaza have been destroyed and US President Donald Trump is to announce a multi-billion dollar plan to rebuild Gaza during the 'Board of Peace' meeting, American officials saidImage: Hamza Z. H. Qraiqea/Anadolu/picture alliance "Israel does not accept Turkey's presence in Gaza, despite Ankara's recognition of Israel, its relations with it, and its NATO membership," he told DW Arabic. "Israel might accept Indonesia though — even though Indonesia doesn't recognize Israel, doesn't have any relations with it and it also supports the Palestinian cause." Indonesia is also the world's most populous Muslim country, Kawas added. "And Trump wants his plan to have broad Islamic support, so this may be another justification." And as Foreign Policy magazine pointed out earlier this month, "Indonesia has experience deploying troops on such missions, including in the Middle East. Its first deployment was to Egypt in 1956 following the Suez crisis, and some 1,000 Indonesian troops are currently stationed on the Israel-Lebanon border."Indonesian president explains his plan Australian media reports say that, around a fortnight ago, President Prabowo held a meeting with former ministers and senior diplomats during which he explained his reasons for joining the Board of Peace. "He was very convincing … he wants to show a leadership role there," one of the people who attended the meeting told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "He knows that [the Board of Peace], among others, is the best channel for Indonesia to help support the independence of Palestine and to ensure that a two-state solution will be mentioned in the meeting." Indonesia's participation in the stabilization force is appropriate, says Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa program at British think tank, Chatham House. Growing regional rivalry between Israel and Turkey has seen Israel reject any role for Turkey in Gaza's reconstruction or peace keeping; Indonesian troops might be more palatable for Israel, experts sayImage: Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua/picture alliance "Indonesia is a more distant country so it would be more acceptable to all sides because it won't be seen as a country that has any ulterior motive," Mekelberg told DW Arabic. Indonesia's geographical distance from the Middle East could have both advantages and disadvantages, Mekelberg argued. Indonesian troops are not familiar with the terrain and the balance of powers there, and could have trouble adapting. But with time and training, they might also be successful. The Indonesians' success also depends on "whether both sides are actually genuine in their intention to abide by ceasefire," Mekelberg noted. No combat role for Indonesians Part of the peace plan for Gaza is supposed to see the Gaza-based militant group, Hamas, disarm. The group itself has regularly refused to do so under the current conditions. "There are concerns that the International Stabilization Force may proceed to disarm Hamas," law professor Juwana told DW's Indonesian service. "Such an action could be perceived negatively by the Indonesian public." Indonesian authorities have already insisted that their forces will be under Indonesian control only, and that they will be there for humanitarian purposes, not for combat. They won't get involved in any action that would put them in direct confrontation with any other group there and Indonesian soldiers will only act in self-defense, they say. Indonesia's ministry of foreign affairs has also said the proposal to send troops to Gaza shouldn't be seen as any kind of movement towards normalization of Indonesian relations with Israel. Indonesian authorities also reiterated their support for Palestinian statehood and their opposition to any "forced displacement or demographic change affecting Palestinians." Indonesian troops would be withdrawn and Indonesia would leave the Board of Peace if the mission changes significantly or the Board fails to pursue Palestinian rights. This, Foreign Policy magazine says, "seems to have softened opposition from Muslim groups." Many challenges A lot will depend on how the stabilization force is set up, says Tahani Mustafa, a visiting fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "It will depend on the kind of mandate and institutional framework that these forces are going to be entering from," she told DW Arabic. "If they don't have the consent or buy-in from Palestinians, then they'll also be viewed and treated as a hostile entity and as an extension of the Israeli occupation." Additionally there are a lot of challenges an international force, unfamiliar with the context or terrain, would have to deal with, she explained. "Hamas is not the only armed group there," she points out. Joan Aurelia Rumengan contributed to this report from Jakarta. This story was originally published in Arabic. 'A nonstarter' – Volker Perthes on the Board of PeaceTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video