Defence Ministry: Helmets Used by TNI in Gaza Await BoP Mandate

The Ministry of Defence has stated that plans to deploy 8,000 personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) to the Gaza Strip, Palestine remain under discussion. One key point of deliberation concerns the uniform attributes that Indonesian peacekeeping forces will wear as part of the International Stabilisation Force established by the Peace Council.

Head of the Defence Ministry’s Information Bureau, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that there is no certainty regarding whether the peacekeeping forces will wear blue helmets, which are the standard attribute worn by United Nations peacekeeping personnel.

“Technical matters are still too premature to be determined with certainty,” he stated in a briefing on Saturday, 28 February 2026.

Nevertheless, Rico stated that the attributes to be worn by the thousands of TNI personnel in Gaza will be determined based on the mandate of the mission. “This includes mission design and official arrangements to be established later,” said the one-star general.

Rico stated that Indonesia’s involvement in the International Stabilisation Force established by the Peace Council represents a mandate to realise international peace. One of his references, he said, is UN Security Council Resolution Number 2803.

The Defence Ministry, he said, is currently awaiting further direction from President Prabowo Subianto regarding plans to deploy peacekeeping forces to Gaza. “We cannot provide a specific timeframe at this moment,” he said.

The uniform attributes to be worn by Indonesian peacekeeping forces in Gaza have also been questioned by former Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, Dino Patti Djalal. Through a post on social media X, Dino urged the Foreign Ministry to explain to the public about the coloured helmets that will be worn by personnel.

According to him, the public has not yet received an explanation on this matter. “Will Indonesia’s peacekeeping forces in Gaza use blue helmets as Indonesian peacekeepers have typically used in the past? Please clarify and explain. It’s a significant difference,” said the former Deputy Foreign Minister in his personal X account @dinopattidjalal on Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

Two spokespersons for the Foreign Ministry, Yvonne Mewengkang and Vahd Nabyl, have not yet responded to questions. Messages sent to their WhatsApp numbers remained unanswered at the time of writing.