Jakarta. Senior government officials and military top brass have given different estimates on the question of how many Gaza peacekeepers Indonesia is planning to send, amid reports that Jakarta’s team would be the first one to set foot in the war-devastated enclave.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan recently claimed that Jakarta would be the first contributor to the Gaza peacekeeping mission. The Indonesian contingent will reportedly amount to “several thousand” individuals, and is expected to deploy in the coming weeks. Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto unveiled a much smaller estimate.

“It’s around 600 [Indonesian peacekeepers],” Donny told the press on Tuesday, shortly after a meeting with lawmakers.

Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak had unveiled a much bigger number, ranging between 5,000 and 8,000 individuals, but admitted that the country had not made a final decision. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi separately told reporters that the number could “likely reach 8,000”.

Tandyo Budi Revita — the deputy commander of the National Armed Forces — said that Indonesia had not identified how big a deployment it was looking at. He signaled that Indonesia would make the final decision within this month. President Prabowo Subianto is expected to sign a document that will make the mission official around that time.

“We should be able to announce how many of our men we will send by the end of the month. There are several options so far on how we can actively participate in Gaza [peace efforts],” Tandyo said.

The Jakarta Globe has asked the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Vahd Nabyl A Mulachela, for confirmation of the Israeli media reports, including the exact size of the troops. In a laconic reply, Nabyl only said that there was no official information yet”. While the number remains a mystery, disarmament — particularly of the Palestinian militant group Hamas — is not on the plan.

“Indonesia’s participation [in the peacekeeping mission] will be focused on the humanitarian aspect. They will not take part in any disarmament process,” Nabyl told a press briefing. 

US President Donald Trump has pitched the establishment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which, according to his 20-point peace plan, will train vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza. The ISF will also team up with Israel and Egypt to secure the border areas, along with the trained Palestinian policemen. They will prevent munitions from entering Gaza and ensure goods can flow into Gaza for reconstruction purposes.

Jakarta has expressed its intention to make its ISF contribution. However, Foreign Minister Sugiono has stated that it would only be a “temporary instrument” with the two-state solution remaining as the end-goal. The two-state solution aims to resolve the conflict by establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside that of Israel. 

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