Analyst considers 8,000 TNI troops deployed to Gaza an ideal number

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Security analyst and co-founder of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), Khairul Fahmi, has assessed that the 8,000 TNI soldiers being deployed for the peacekeeping mission in Gaza is an ideal number.

The figure is considered ideal given that TNI personnel must carry out numerous peacekeeping tasks, including clearing vast quantities of building debris resulting from the conflict.

“In terms of scale, this number is proportionate considering the ISF’s extremely extensive mandate, which encompasses overseeing demilitarisation, securing the clearance of 70 million tonnes of rubble, and protecting reconstruction projects for hundreds of thousands of homes,” Fahmi told ANTARA in Jakarta on Friday.

Nevertheless, the number could potentially increase to adapt to developments and operational requirements on the ground.

Furthermore, according to Fahmi, deploying such a large number of troops presents a challenge in itself for the TNI, as this represents one of the largest peacekeeping operations in terms of personnel that the TNI has ever undertaken.

Fahmi noted that the personnel must receive adequate operational facilities and logistical support throughout the duration of the operation.

Beyond internal TNI support, Khairul said logistical capacity also depends on the multinational coalition’s ability to sustain the needs of TNI forces in a territory whose infrastructure has been destroyed.

However, Khairul expressed confidence that the coalition of nations within the Board of Partners would provide full support to the ISF and the TNI in carrying out the peacekeeping operation in Gaza.