October 30, 2025
JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR – Indonesia will await for a mandate from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) before sending its peacekeeping troops to Gaza, Foreign Minister Sugiono has said, as the United States continues to prepare an outline for deploying peace troops in the war-torn Palestinian enclave as soon as possible.
There has so far been no further details or discussions between the Foreign Ministry and their US counterparts on the so-called International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would be deployed in Gaza, the minister said.
“Indeed we’re committed to send peacekeeping personnel to address the situation in Gaza. But details or the term of reference for that matter remain unclear,” Sugiono said in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday after a series of ASEAN-related meetings.
“There has to be a mandate from the UNSC, which we hope will be issued. There has been no discussions so far, and we’re far from settling any details.”
Washington is still drafting a framework for an international peacekeeping force in Gaza three weeks after the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, as parties weigh in on what such a mission should entail.
The ISF is expected to be temporarily deployed in Gaza’s key areas to prevent renewed fighting between Israel and Hamas, protect aid convoys and support a transitional government. It is among requirements in the 20-point peace plan led by US President Donald Trump, who pledged to provide up to 200 troops to support the initiative.
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Several countries have declared their interest in joining the force, including Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Indonesia, although no official list of participants has been finalized.
Indonesia has made the largest offer so far, with President Prabowo Subianto pledging to send more than 20,000 personnel in his speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in September.
Details on the ISF, including the size of the force, are still unclear.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister and indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, declared that Tel Aviv should reserve the right to determine which foreign forces it would allow as part of the ISF. Israeli officials later signaled against Turkey’s participation in the force.
No talks, yet
With the ceasefire in Gaza hanging on a thread, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week it was critical for the stabilization force to “come in as soon as it possibly can be put together”.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Rubio said Washington was still currently drafting the outline of the peacekeeping mission, including whether the ISF will be deployed through UN mechanisms.
“Many of the countries that have expressed interest in participating at some level, be it money or personnel or both, are going to need that because their own domestic laws require it. So we have a whole team just working on that outline,” Rubio said.
Several reports claimed the US top diplomat has started speaking to several countries which have expressed their interest in joining the force.
But Sugiono has refuted any talks with the US on the matter, while reaffirming Jakarta’s interest to provide its troops “in accordance to the number of personnel needed”.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Frega Wenas Inkiriwang asserted the importance of the UN mandate for Indonesia, explaining that Jakarta cannot send any personnel without the organization’s greenlight.
“Any peacekeeping missions to any country require a UN mandate and the consent of the hosting nations. So while we continue to prepare our personnel, we can’t deploy any unilaterally. This is the principle,” Frega said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He added several institutions had coordinated to make way for the mission, including the Foreign Ministry and the Indonesian Military (TNI), stopping short of mentioning the number of personnel being prepared for the mission.
Experts have previously warned against countries, including Indonesia, to join the ISF without a UNSC mandate. Taking part in the mission without UN backing, they said, could undermine its legal standing and endanger personnel, as the force’s neutrality could be questioned by the conflicting parties.
A mandate from the UN will also ensure countries are able to reimburse any operational costs in the mission, rather than shouldering the expenses themselves, they said.
Trading blames
Despite the ceasefire deal taking into effect since Oct. 10, Israel still carries out strikes on Gaza and accuses Hamas of violating the truce, which the militant group denied.
Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza late on Tuesday, saying it mounted the strikes after an attack by Palestinian militants killed one soldier. The Israeli military said in a statement that it would continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and would respond firmly to “any violation”, Reuters reported.
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Trump said the ceasefire was not at risk even as Israeli planes struck across Gaza.
“As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“Nothing is going to jeopardize” the ceasefire, Trump said: “You have to understand Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave.”