Awaits international mandate before deploying up to 8,000 troops for a new Gaza peacekeeping force
\n Jakarta
\nA proposed multinational peacekeeping force for Gaza could total about 20,000 troops, with Indonesia estimating it could contribute up to 8,000, President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s spokesman said on Tuesday.
\nThe spokesman said, however, that no deployment terms or areas of operation had been agreed.
\nPrabowo has been invited to Washington later this month for the first meeting of US President Donald Trump\u2019s Board of Peace. The Southeast Asian country last year committed to ready 20,000 troops for deployment for a Gaza peacekeeping force, but it has said it is awaiting more details about the force\u2019s mandate before confirming deployment.
\n\u201cThe total number is approximately 20,000 (across countries) … it is not only Indonesia,\u201d presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi told journalists on Tuesday, adding that the exact number of troops had not been discussed yet, but Indonesia estimated it could offer up to 8,000.
\n\u201cWe are just preparing ourselves in case an agreement is reached, and we have to send peacekeeping forces,\u201d he said.
\nPrasetyo also said there would be negotiations before Indonesia paid the $1 billion being asked for permanent membership of the Board of Peace. He did not clarify who the negotiations would be with, and said Indonesia had not yet confirmed Prabowo\u2019s attendance at the board meeting.
\nSeparately, Indonesia\u2019s defence ministry also denied reports in Israeli media that the deployment of Indonesian troops would be in Gaza\u2019s Rafah and Khan Younis.
\n\u201cIndonesia\u2019s plans to contribute to peace and humanitarian support in Gaza are still in the preparation and coordination stages,\u201d defence ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirat told Reuters in a message.
\n\u201cOperational matters (deployment location, number of personnel, schedule, mechanism) have not yet been finalised and will be announced once an official decision has been made and the necessary international mandate has been clarified,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Awaits international mandate before deploying up to 8,000 troops for a new Gaza peacekeeping force Jakarta A proposed multinational peacekeeping force for Gaza could total about 20,000 troops, with Indonesia estimating it could contribute up to 8,000, President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s spokesman said on Tuesday. The spokesman said, however, that no deployment terms or areas of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":530692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-530679","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n