Jakarta. Indonesia is officially taking on the role as the deputy commander of the Gaza security force amid President Prabowo Subianto’s plans to send up to 8,000 troops.

Prabowo joined other world leaders at the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting in Washington on Thursday local time. The talks zeroed in on the Washington-led plan of establishing the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a large team of foreign soldiers that will oversee the Gaza truce. It was then when ISF’s commander, US Major General Jasper Jeffers, revealed that an Indonesian would join the ISF’s top brass.

“I have offered, and Indonesia has accepted the position of deputy commander for the ISF,” Jeffers told the Gaza board meeting.

According to Jeffers, Indonesia is among the first five countries to contribute troops to serve in the ISF. Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania have pledged to put their boots on the ground. Egypt and Jordan will also train the Palestinian police personnel. In the long term, the ISF will have 12,000 police officers and 20,000 soldiers.

Prabowo has said that Indonesia’s contingent would consist of up to 8,000 people, but can exceed those numbers “if necessary”. Asked about the deputy commander following the board meeting, Prabowo said that he would pick “a good one” to fill the post.

“We are ready to send the troops, but perhaps the deployment of the advanced groups will not be long. Maybe it can happen within one or two months,” Prabowo said. 

Ex-Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal cautioned Jakarta to consider putting blue helmets on its Gaza-bound soldiers, similar to what the UN peacekeepers would wear. The blue helmets have become a symbol for the UN in bringing peace to conflict-struck zones.

“If not, this will be the first time for an Indonesian peacekeeping troop to not wear blue helmets. And this is something that calls for public explanation,” Dino said.

Earlier that day, Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Vahd Nabyl A Mulachela signaled the likelihood of state money being used to bankroll portions of Indonesia’s involvement in the ISF.  

“It does not rule out the possibility that there will be implications on our [state] budget,” Nabyl told the press in Jakarta.

The Indonesian national caveats' jobs on the ground will be strictly limited to humanitarian efforts only. They will not engage in combat or other demilitarization efforts.

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