Jakarta. A former senior diplomat said Tuesday that Indonesia should be careful when proceeding with the US-backed Gaza security force plan, citing that Jakarta should make sure its soldiers would not clash with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly declared that his country was ready to deploy peacekeepers to the war-torn Gaza at any time. Jakarta has also welcomed the UN Security Council’s approval of US President Donald Trump’s idea to form an international security force in the enclave. 

As Jakarta prepares its men, Ex-Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal reminded the government to tread carefully by making sure that the UN’s mandate on the peacekeeping mission clearly lays out what they expect the Indonesian soldiers to do and not do on the ground, “as detailed as possible”.  Indonesia also needs to prevent its personnel from getting embroiled in conflicts with Hamas at all costs.

“I urge the [Indonesian] government to be cautious. I know that we [Indonesia] are eager to send peacekeepers, but we have to make sure we are very clear about [the UN’s] mission statement, including the rules of engagement,” Dino told a press briefing in Jakarta.

“We should never go into the possibility of clashing with Hamas. That’s one big risk. That's not what we want. That would not be in the interest of our armed forces.”

He went on to say that both Hamas and the Israeli military still possess sizable arms arsenals, adding that gunfire can break out at any moment despite a peace deal. 

“And if that happens, what should we [Indonesia] do? We have to map every possible scenario from the very beginning.”

At Indonesia’s barracks, preparations are underway.

The Navy has readied three hospital warships for the Gaza plan. The Air Force has the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft and a helicopter on standby, waiting for Prabowo’s orders. There are plans to send a three-star military general to lead the mission.

According to Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the yet-to-be-established International Stabilization Force (ISF) will only be temporary. The team, which will bring together soldiers of several countries, is expected to train vetted Palestinian policemen in Gaza. Their job includes preventing munitions from entering the area. Parties involved in this plan are set to agree on a deconfliction mechanism to avoid friendly fire. 

The peacekeeping mission became a talking point when Foreign Minister Sugiono addressed the Palestine Donor Group meeting in Brussels a few days ago. This meeting had brought together partners to reaffirm collective support for Palestinians. The chief diplomat told the forum that “Indonesia emphasized the need to ensure its implementation aligns with a clear UN mandate and established international law.”

The UN reported that Indonesia had been the fifth-largest uniformed personnel contributor, deploying 2,731 individuals on peacekeeping operations as of September. Nepal sent the biggest team with 6,031 personnel.

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