Indonesia prepares to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza

Jakarta, which has expressed solidarity with Palestinians, says it's ready 'to contribute to peace'

By Peter McNamara

Published date: 10 February 2026

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/indonesia-prepares-send-troops-gaza

Indonesia is preparing to deploy up to 8,000 soldiers to Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, according to news agency Antara. 

The potential mobilisation was announced following a meeting between Indonesia’s army chief of staff, Maruli Simanjuntak, and President Prabowo Subianto. 

The details of the deployment, including arrival date and location, have yet to be finalised, but at least one brigade of up to 8,000 personnel is being organised for the journey.

"We are just preparing ourselves in case an agreement is reached and we have to send peacekeeping forces," Prabowo told journalists.  

The president is among those invited to the first meeting of the US Board of Peace in Washington, DC later this month, though he has not confirmed his attendance. Prabowo has also said he would seek to negotiate the board’s $1bn joining fee.

Indonesia has reiterated its intention "to contribute to peace and humanitarian support in Gaza", defence ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirat told Reuters. 

The troops would be the first members of the multinational International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to be deployed in Gaza, which has been estimated to reach up to 20,000 personnel.

Critics argue the ISF risks becoming complicit in the occupation of the Gaza Strip. Indonesia’s foreign ministry has insisted that its participation would not be aimed at imposing peace, but would instead focus on humanitarian objectives.

In November, Indonesia's defence minister announced that its military has trained 20,000 troops for healthcare and construction efforts in Gaza. 

Jakarta has also provided humanitarian aid, including the delivery of 10,000 tonnes of rice in August last year, and has launched a long-term cultivation initiative in Sumatra and Kalimantan to support Palestinian food security.

Thousands of Indonesians demonstrated in 2025, calling for justice for Gaza, while others criticised the sending of Indonesian students to Israeli institutions during the genocide.