Indonesia says readying peacekeeping brigade for Gaza

The Indonesian Defence Forces commander, on Thursday, said Jakarta would be preparing a peacekeeping brigade of 1,212 personnel for deployment in Gaza, state news agency, ANTARA, reported.

The troops will be deployed if Indonesia receives a mandate from the UN, said Gen. Agus Subiyanto, Anadolu Agency reports.

The statement came after President-elect, Prabowo Subianto’s recent remarks that the South-east Asian nation was prepared to provide humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping forces to maintain a cease-fire in the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

“We will form a brigade consisting of a Support Battalion, an Engineer Battalion, a Health Battalion and a Supply Battalion,” he said, adding that defence forces were also readying two hospital ships for the peace mission to treat people affected by the conflict.

“These two ships can provide treatment on board along with an emergency unit for surgery, an emergency room and the provision of X-ray facility as well,” he added.

Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians since a 7 October cross-border attack that claimed 1,200 lives. The onslaught has triggered a humanitarian disaster and an ongoing trial over alleged genocide at the International Court of Justice.​​​​​​​

However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.

READ: Israel advances bill banning states from opening embassies for Palestinians in Jerusalem