Deployment of troops to Gaza awaits direction from President Prabowo Subianto

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence (Kemenhan), Brigadier General TNI Rico Sirait, stated that regarding the deployment of troops to Gaza, it is still awaiting the presence of President Prabowo Subianto on 28th February 2026.

“I cannot provide an update yet because we are still waiting for President Prabowo Subianto’s presence on the 28th,” he said to the press in Jakarta on Wednesday evening.

He stated that “there are guidelines that may become his direction regarding the number, regarding who, regarding where, when, and so on, and we are still awaiting direction from our highest leader.”

“And this has been communicated to all levels of the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) and the Kemenhan, including the Head of the TNI Information Centre, the Head of the TNI Information Service, and all officials, to refrain from making statements that may later lead to misinformation,” he said.

Furthermore, Indonesia has been appointed as a country whose high-ranking military official will serve as the deputy commander of the International Stability Force formed by the Peacekeeping Organisation, and Prabowo, in his statement, said that he would send a significant number of Indonesian military troops.

Sirait also stated that this relates to the 4,000 state civil servants (ASN) who will be formed into Reserve Component personnel in April for six weeks of education and training.

“Currently, it is in the registration and registration phase in accordance with Law Number 23/2019 concerning the PSDN (Reserve Component System). Its nature is still voluntary,” he said.

He emphasised that, in general, the requirements for becoming Reserve Component personnel are voluntary, so there is no element of coercion or obligation.

“We are only providing a quota of the number of people needed from each ministry from the 49 existing ministries,” he said.

According to him, they will be selected to ensure that the person is healthy and that there are no physical conditions that limit them.

“Regarding gender, whether male or female, it is up to each agency or ministry. Those who are sent according to the registration carried out internally will be processed administratively,” he said.

The implementation of the Reserve Component education and training this time will be carried out in two waves, each wave lasting one and a half months.

“So the first wave is 2,000 people, then it will be carried out for one and a half months,” he said.