Prabowo Pledges to Send 8,000 TNI Troops to Gaza
President Prabowo Subianto has announced that Indonesia will send at least 8,000 troops to the Gaza Strip, Palestine. He made the commitment whilst attending the inaugural summit of the Board of Peace in Washington D.C., United States, on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
Prabowo delivered the pledge before approximately 20 leaders of Board of Peace member states, including US President Donald Trump. “We reaffirm our commitment to contribute a substantial number of troops, up to 8,000 or more if necessary,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo stated that the Gaza ceasefire had produced tangible results. Indonesia is therefore prepared to deploy Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel to help realise a peaceful solution for the Palestinian question and the situation in Gaza.
According to Prabowo, TNI soldiers will join peacekeeping forces from various countries for the Gaza mission. “We are ready to contribute troops to actively participate in the International Stabilisation Force to bring about this peace,” said the Gerindra Party chairman.
In his address, Prabowo also expressed confidence in President Trump’s leadership of the Board of Peace, stating that Trump would be capable of achieving lasting peace.
Indonesia is currently preparing approximately 8,000 TNI soldiers for deployment to the Gaza Strip through the International Stabilisation Force (ISF). The ISF is planned to operate under the direction of the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump, which was approved by the United Nations Security Council through Resolution 2803 on 17 November 2025.
During the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting on Thursday, Donald Trump expressed appreciation in his speech for the attendance of national representatives, including President Prabowo. Trump noted that countries joining the Board of Peace were not only contributing financially but were also willing to send personnel to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump then singled out Indonesia as one of the nations that would be sending troops to Gaza. “Indonesia, thank you very much, Indonesia. That’s a great country,” Trump said.
Indonesia’s involvement in the Board of Peace has attracted criticism. The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) argued that membership of the US-led international body betrays the spirit and values of the Indonesian people, who have long sided with Palestine.
YLBHI highlighted the plan to send thousands of Indonesian soldiers to “assist” the United States and Israel in demilitarising Hamas in Palestine. The organisation stressed that this sets a dangerous precedent against Palestine’s rights as a state.