Former Deputy Foreign Minister Asks Government to Clarify Whether Indonesian Troops in Gaza Will Wear Blue Helmets
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Former Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal has once again requested clarification from the government regarding the status of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) troops to be deployed to the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Dino questioned whether the TNI soldiers, while in the territory occupied by Israel, would wear blue protective helmets, similar to the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Forces.
Dino stated that the participation of the TNI in Gaza, joining the International Stability Force (ISF) formed by the Board of Peace (BoP) or the Gaza Peace Council, established by US President Donald Trump, must still adhere to the use of peace attributes that have characterized them as Peacekeeping Forces. “To date, the public has not received clarification on whether the Indonesian peacekeeping forces in Gaza will use blue helmets, as is customary for Indonesian peacekeeping forces,” said Dino, as quoted from his Twitter account, Thursday (February 26, 2026).
The former Indonesian Ambassador to Washington demanded an explanation and assurance regarding the use of blue helmets for the TNI troops. According to him, without wearing blue helmets, as is customary for UN Peacekeeping Forces, the presence of thousands of TNI soldiers in Gaza could raise other international polemics. “Please ensure and clarify, it’s a significant difference,” said Dino.
The issue of whether the TNI troops to be deployed to Gaza should wear blue helmets has been questioned by Dino before. After the first meeting of BoP member states in Washington on Thursday, February 19, 2026, Dino also raised a similar question. At that time, Dino said that President Prabowo Subianto must ensure that TNI troops in Gaza wear blue helmets as a visual identity for the TNI troops as Peacekeeping Forces.
This is because, so far, TNI’s participation in UN Peacekeeping Forces has worn blue helmets as a sign of neutrality and peace for the forces from a third party that is in a conflict area or a post-war peace zone. “I believe there needs to be clarification from the government on whether the Indonesian peacekeeping forces in Gaza will use blue helmets, as is customary for UN Peacekeeping Forces. If not, this would be the first time Indonesian peacekeeping forces have not used blue helmets, and it needs to be explained to the public,” said Dino.
In the first meeting of BoP member states in Washington last week, President Prabowo ensured that at least 8,000 TNI soldiers would be included in the ISF. The ISF troops will later be deployed to Gaza under the pretext of maintaining peace on behalf of the BoP. More than 20 countries have joined the BoP, but only five countries have been approved to deploy their troops into the ISF to maintain the zoning in Gaza. In addition to Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kazakhstan, and Kosovo will deploy a total of 20,000 troops.
Meanwhile, the US, as the supreme commander of the ISF, did not send its troops to join Gaza for this so-called peace mission. Instead, the US appointed Indonesia as the deputy commander of the ISF. From the first meeting of the BoP last week, the zoning for the deployment of the five ISF countries has been determined. 8,000 troops from the TNI will be stationed in the Rafah area, Morocco in the Khan Younis area, Albanian military in Deir al-Balaah, and Kazakhstan in Gaza City, and military from Kosovo in the northern Gaza area. Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan, in the ISF mission, were asked by the BoP to deploy 12,000 police personnel to strengthen the role of the Palestinian Police in Gaza.
The ISF forces under the control of the BoP are claimed to be the realization of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 regarding the establishment of a special peacekeeping force for Gaza, which was issued in 2025. However, the existence of the ISF has been widely criticized for not being in accordance with the UN mandate as a Peacekeeping Force. Because several missions of the presence of international forces in Gaza have received much rejection. Furthermore, the existence of the BoP, chaired by Donald Trump, has become the main object of criticism because it includes Israel, as the occupying entity in Gaza, as a member. Regarding the UN mandate, Peacekeeping Forces in red areas, or conflict zones, are required to wear blue helmets as an official identity as an official UN military force.
The blue helmet itself refers to the UN flag with the color meaning peace for the whole world. On the official UN website, blue helmets or blue berets must be attached to all forces from all UN member states that send their troops as a third party in a war zone or conflict. UN Peacekeeping Forces with blue helmets or berets are tasked with maintaining peace on the border of the disputed area or war, protecting civilians from attacks, and assisting security forces in implementing peace agreements between the two warring countries, or in a ceasefire.
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