Deputy Defence Minister Acknowledges Deployment of 8,000 TNI Troops to Gaza Not Yet Scheduled

Deputy Defence Minister Donny Ermawan admitted he does not yet know the departure schedule for 8,000 Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) troops to Gaza, Palestine, following Indonesia’s formal membership of the Board of Peace (BoP) alongside several nations under an initiative led by United States President Donald Trump.

“There is no deployment plan yet, but we have prepared 8,000 personnel for the peacekeeping mission in Gaza in due course,” Donny said in Makassar on Sunday (22 February).

Nevertheless, Donny affirmed that Indonesia would withdraw from the Board of Peace should the mission prove inconsistent with Indonesia’s objectives regarding Palestinian independence.

“We shall see — if it does not align with the Indonesian Government’s interests, that option remains on the table,” he concluded.

Previously, Commission I member of the House of Representatives Syamsu Rizal stressed that the deployment of TNI troops to Gaza, Palestine, would be solely for humanitarian purposes and would not involve participation in any Israeli agenda.

“We have recommended that involvement be limited to medical assistance and military engineering, or rehabilitation and reconstruction,” Syamsu Rizal said at the PKB South Sulawesi office on Tuesday (17 February).

According to Rizal, known by his nickname Daeng Ical, one TNI brigade has already undergone training to form part of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), though the assignment must be strictly delimited.

“Commission I has stipulated that, first and foremost, the duties must be clearly defined before any deployment. There must be clear crosslines and debarkation points, both in terms of territory and task segments,” he said.

Meanwhile, Indonesia will serve as Deputy Commander of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF).

This was announced at the inaugural Board of Peace (BoP) meeting in Washington DC on Thursday (19 February) local time.

“I wish to announce that I have offered, and Indonesia has accepted, the position of Deputy Commander for the ISF,” said ISF Commander Major General Jasper Jeffers.