Indonesian Military Awaits Presidential Directive on Gaza Deployment Planned for May
The Indonesian military (TNI) has announced the latest developments regarding plans to deploy troops to Gaza to undertake a peacekeeping mission. The TNI emphasised it is still awaiting direct guidance from President Prabowo Subianto.
“We are waiting. The TNI is fundamentally ready, we are waiting. In this phase we are still awaiting direction from our leadership,” stated TNI Public Relations Chief Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah to reporters at the TNI Public Relations Office in Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (17 March 2026).
Previously, it was reported that international forces, including from Indonesia, would begin deployment to the Gaza Strip starting in May, as part of the next phase of a peace plan initiated by United States President Donald Trump.
According to a report from Israeli media outlet KAN, as cited by Anadolu Agency on Monday (16 March), the international forces, estimated to comprise approximately 5,000 troops from Indonesia, along with dozens of troops from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania, and Kosovo, could begin operations on 1 May.
These international forces, according to the KAN report, will initially be stationed around a Palestinian city being constructed with support from the United Arab Emirates in the Rafah area of southern Gaza Strip, before expanding to other parts of the territory.
The KAN report also noted that military delegations from participating nations are expected to arrive in Israel within two weeks to conduct inspections in the Gaza Strip ahead of the troop deployment.
These international forces will subsequently expand their presence in areas near the “yellow line” — a temporary boundary established by Israel separating Israeli-controlled zones from areas inhabited by Gaza’s civilian population.
The report also stated that hundreds of foreign troops are expected to depart for Jordan next month for training before entering Gaza as part of the international stabilisation force.
On 9 February, an Israeli local television channel reported that preparations had begun for the arrival of thousands of Indonesian troops as part of a stabilisation force outlined in Trump’s peace plan to end the Gaza conflict.
Before that, on 16 January, the White House announced a governance structure for Gaza’s transitional phase, including a Peace Council, Gaza Executive Council, National Committee for Gaza Administration, and an international stabilisation force.
This international stabilisation force will oversee security operations in Gaza, disarm armed groups including Hamas, and ensure delivery of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction materials.
This step forms part of the second phase of Trump’s 20-point proposal to end the Gaza conflict, supported by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 issued on 17 November 2025.