JakartaPost-Nov 17, 2025
With a ceasefire having been brokered in the Palestinian enclave in October, President Prabowo Subianto is seeking to make good on the pledge he delivered at the UN General Assembly in September to send some 20,000 troops on a peacekeeping mission. Concerns are mounting over Jakarta’s recent shift in tone on its planned peacekeeping role in Gaza, with the government now weighing the option of sending troops under a United States-led stabilization force rather than waiting for a United Nations mandate. With a ceasefire having been brokered in the Palestinian enclave in October, President Prabowo Subianto is seeking to make good on the pledge he delivered at the UN General Assembly in September to send some 20,000 troops on a peacekeeping mission. Although the government had previously insisted that any deployment must follow a UN mandate, Defense Minister Sjafrie Samsoeddin said on Friday that another option was being considered. “There is a second alternative, which is [to deploy peacekeeping troops] under an arrangement agreed upon by the international organization initiated by the US president,” Sjafrie said. While Sjafrie did not directly mention what organization he was referring to, US President Donald Trump has previously been actively promoting the US-coordinated International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be deployed to Gaza. The ISF is part of Trump’s 20-point peace-plan and its deployment is aimed at preventing renewed fighting between Israel and Hamas, protect aid convoys and support a transitional government. Issuance of a UN mandate would require an agreement from members of the UN Security Council without a veto from any of its five permanent members: the US, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. The UNSC is set to vote on Trump’s peace plan on Monday, although Russia has also issued a competing draft resolution of its own. While acknowledging that a final decision would require extensive discussions, Sjafrie said Indonesia would only send its troops as part of the US-coordinated multinational force under the condition that all countries with “relevant competencies” agree to Indonesia’s involvement. “This is especially important for the Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and the Emirates. If these five give their approval, Indonesia would be pleased to participate. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2025/11/17/non-un-gaza-mission-spurs-concern.html.
