Indonesia Prepares 8,000 Troops for Proposed Gaza ‘Stabilization Force’

February 10, 2026

President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia is conditioning his country's participation in Trump's Board of Peace on Palestinian independence. (Photos: Anadolu, QNN. Design: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Indonesia is preparing thousands of troops for a potential deployment to Gaza as part of a proposed international post-war security arrangement, linking Jakarta’s humanitarian-framed initiative to broader political negotiations surrounding US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan and the emerging multinational “stabilization force.”

Key Developments

Indonesia is preparing between 5,000 and 8,000 troops for Gaza deployment.

Units expected to focus on engineering, medical, and reconstruction roles.

Plan linked to Trump’s international stabilization force proposal.

Israeli media reported preparations to host Indonesian troops in southern Gaza.

Indonesia conditions normalization with Israel on recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Indonesia Prepares Gaza Deployment

Indonesia’s army began preparations for a possible deployment of up to 8,000 personnel following a leadership meeting chaired by President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta.

Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak said the numbers and timeline remain under review pending coordination within the military command structure, according to an official Indonesian military statement released Monday.

Officials indicated the force would consist mainly of engineering and medical units, emphasizing humanitarian work and reconstruction rather than combat operations.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the deployment would support ceasefire implementation and post-war stabilization arrangements in Gaza.

‘International Stabilization Force’

The proposal is reportedly connected to a broader plan advanced by Washington to establish a temporary multinational force inside Gaza.

The framework envisions foreign troops assisting in training Palestinian police and supporting a transitional administration while Israel withdraws to agreed positions.

US-based news outlet Politico previously reported that Indonesia, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan were leading candidates to contribute troops to the force. US troops would not be deployed inside the enclave, with regional and Muslim-majority countries expected to provide personnel instead.

Israeli Media Reports and Disputes

Israeli public broadcaster Kan and Channel 12 reported that Israeli security officials had begun preliminary planning for the arrival of Indonesian forces in southern Gaza, particularly in areas between Rafah and Khan Yunis, as part of a proposed multinational stabilization deployment following the war.

The reports suggested the troops could be tasked with securing humanitarian corridors and assisting in civil administration arrangements in evacuated zones after Israeli troop redeployments.

Jakarta rejected the claims, saying no geographic deployment areas had been agreed upon and that Indonesia would only participate under a clear international legal mandate and guarantees for civilian protection.

The Australian newspaper, citing Indonesian defense sources, reported that officials in Jakarta were concerned about being drawn into an occupation-adjacent security role and emphasized the country would only join a mission formally approved through international mechanisms and acceptable to the Palestinians.

Prabowo’s Expanding Diplomatic Role

President Prabowo Subianto has increasingly sought a larger international security role for Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

He previously stated Indonesia was ready to send up to 20,000 peacekeepers to Gaza or other conflict zones and participated in international talks on the enclave’s future.

Reuters news agency reported that Indonesia also joined Trump’s “Board of Peace,” reinforcing its diplomatic involvement in post-war planning.

Despite this engagement, Jakarta does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and has reiterated that normalization would only occur if Palestinian statehood is recognized.