Foreign Minister: Indonesian Forces Will Not Disarm Combatants in Gaza
Foreign Minister Sugiono has stated that Indonesian forces will not disarm combatants in the Gaza Strip. Indonesia has refused to carry out demilitarisation of Palestinian territory, which is one of the core missions of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF).
According to Sugiono, Indonesia has submitted national caveats upon joining the ISF in the Gaza Strip. "We have already conveyed our national caveats to the ISF, that we will not conduct military operations," Sugiono said in an online press statement on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
Sugiono said the mission of Indonesian forces in the Gaza Strip is to protect civilians. "We will not carry out disarmament, we will not carry out what is called demilitarisation," said the Gerindra Party Secretary-General.
Sugiono added that the Indonesian military will also not be involved in offensive combat operations. Indonesian forces are only permitted to take defensive action in self-defence when facing a direct threat.
According to Sugiono, Indonesia's involvement in the mission is not related to diplomatic relations with any particular country. The ISF, he said, operates under an international mandate to maintain peace and protect civilians.
President Prabowo Subianto has declared a commitment to send 8,000 Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of the ISF. This figure is expected to be the largest contribution from a single country out of the approximately 20,000 personnel in the ISF.
The plan to deploy the combined ISF forces to the Gaza Strip was previously announced at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. The conference took place in Washington, DC, United States, and was attended by leaders of member states, including Prabowo.
Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of the Board of Peace, said Gaza's reconstruction depends on disarmament. "There is no alternative other than full demilitarisation and the disarmament of all weapons in Gaza so that reconstruction can begin and the Palestinian people can have a new way of life going forward," he said.
Hamas, the armed group in the Gaza Strip, has declared that the Palestinian movement will not surrender its weapons or accept foreign intervention in Gaza. They rejected the demands of the United States and Israel.
"Criminalising resistance, weapons, and those who carry them out is something that must not be accepted," said Khaled Meshaal, a senior Hamas leader, at a conference in Doha, as reported by Al Arabiya on Monday, 9 February 2026.
According to Sugiono, Indonesia has submitted national caveats upon joining the ISF in the Gaza Strip. "We have already conveyed our national caveats to the ISF, that we will not conduct military operations," Sugiono said in an online press statement on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
Sugiono said the mission of Indonesian forces in the Gaza Strip is to protect civilians. "We will not carry out disarmament, we will not carry out what is called demilitarisation," said the Gerindra Party Secretary-General.
Sugiono added that the Indonesian military will also not be involved in offensive combat operations. Indonesian forces are only permitted to take defensive action in self-defence when facing a direct threat.
According to Sugiono, Indonesia's involvement in the mission is not related to diplomatic relations with any particular country. The ISF, he said, operates under an international mandate to maintain peace and protect civilians.
President Prabowo Subianto has declared a commitment to send 8,000 Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of the ISF. This figure is expected to be the largest contribution from a single country out of the approximately 20,000 personnel in the ISF.
The plan to deploy the combined ISF forces to the Gaza Strip was previously announced at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. The conference took place in Washington, DC, United States, and was attended by leaders of member states, including Prabowo.
Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of the Board of Peace, said Gaza's reconstruction depends on disarmament. "There is no alternative other than full demilitarisation and the disarmament of all weapons in Gaza so that reconstruction can begin and the Palestinian people can have a new way of life going forward," he said.
Hamas, the armed group in the Gaza Strip, has declared that the Palestinian movement will not surrender its weapons or accept foreign intervention in Gaza. They rejected the demands of the United States and Israel.
"Criminalising resistance, weapons, and those who carry them out is something that must not be accepted," said Khaled Meshaal, a senior Hamas leader, at a conference in Doha, as reported by Al Arabiya on Monday, 9 February 2026.