Indonesia preparing to deploy 'thousands' of troops to Gaza for stabilisation force mission

Indonesia is reportedly readying to deploy thousands of its troops to the Gaza Strip, as part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) set to have a presence in the war-battered territory as part of the October 2025 peace deal.

Jakarta is reportedly preparing up to 8,000 soldiers for deployment in Gaza, as part of the Southeast Asian country’s ambitions for a greater role in the territory’s post-war transition.

Indonesia’s Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak said on Monday that Jakarta has "started training people who could potentially become peacemakers," and that they are "preparing engineering and health units".

Simanjuntak said the troops’ deployment requirements lie with the Indonesian Military headquarters.

He added that the army is "currently awaiting" further information regarding "coordination with Gaza," and could not confirm a timeline for when such deployment would begin.

The statement followed a joint military-police leadership meeting with President Prabowo Subianto in the country’s capital.

There has been no set date for the ISF’s arrival in Gaza, but US officials said in December that it was aiming for their deployment early this year. The peacekeeping force is part of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, and was proposed as early as July 2025 by Tony Blair. 

The former UK Prime Minister who is set to take on a major role in Trump’s so-called 'Board of Peace', which is seeking to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza, and its post-war transitional period. His appointment has been met with staunch criticism from Palestinians, calling it "colonial" and likely to serve Israeli interests, due to his previous role as envoy of the Middle East Quartet.

As per the Gaza peace deal’s outline, the ISF is tasked with training Palestinian police forces, securing Gaza’s border with Egypt and Israel, protecting civilians, and facilitating humanitarian corridors.

Several nations have been rumoured to join the force, with the US seeking a multinational group of at least 10,000 soldiers to form the ISF.

This comes after President Prabowo received an official invitation from Trump to attend the 'Board of Peace' meeting, scheduled for 19 February, where he is also hoping to sign a trade deal with his American counterpart, presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi confirmed on Monday.

Prabowo also attended a summit in Egypt on Gaza’s future led by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in October.

Indonesia has repeatedly offered its service to Gaza amid the devastating war, which has killed over 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

Jakarta has offered to treat thousands of wounded Palestinians in a converted medical facility in the uninhabited island of Galang. It has also air-dropped aid to the war-battered enclave on several occasions, and said it was "ready to temporarily shelter" victims of the war.

While Muslim-majority Indonesia and Israel have no formal ties, largely due to opposition of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, President Prabowo said in May last year that he was "open" to establishing diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv if it recognised a Palestinian state.

Ongoing violations

On Tuesday in Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians, including a woman, in an airstrike targeting the village of Al-Musaddar in the enclave's centre. The Israeli military reportedly targeted an electric bicycle in the village's entrance, which killed two people, while gunfire from an Israeli quadcopter killed the woman in the same village.

Despite the implementation of the ceasefire on 10 October last year, Israel violated the agreement on an almost-daily basis with frequent strikes, home demolitions, and deliberate killings. At least 573 Palestinians have been killed since.