Send peacekeeping force to Gaza immediately

KN. Indonesia will wait for a mandate from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) before sending its peacekeeping troops to Gaza, Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono has said, as the United States continues to prepare an outline for deploying peace troops in the war-torn Palestinian enclave as soon as possible. There has so far been no further details or discussions between the Foreign Ministry and their U.S. counterparts on the so-called International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would be deployed in Gaza, the minister said. “Indeed, we’re committed to send peacekeeping personnel to address the situation in Gaza. But details or the term of reference for that matter remain unclear,” Sugiono said in Kuala Lumpur after a series of ASEAN-related meetings.

International relations expert from Padjadjaran University, Teuku Rezasyah, said that President Prabowo’s intention to send peacekeeping troops to Gaza aligns with Indonesia’s constitutional mandate to contribute to global peace. However, Rezasyah expressed doubt that the plan would proceed smoothly, noting that the decision to deploy peacekeeping forces does not rest solely with the Indonesian government. He referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Oct. 26 statement that his government has the authority to determine which foreign countries may participate in any multinational force. To play a meaningful role in establishing such a peacekeeping mission, Rezasyah said Prabowo would need to intensify diplomatic lobbying with the United States and the United Nations, as the United States remains a key actor capable of influencing Netanyahu.