Minister of Foreign Affairs Assures that RI has Informed Palestine about ISF Personnel to Gaza

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister (Menlu) Sugiono said that the deployment of Indonesian personnel to join the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip had been confirmed in advance with the Palestinians.

Sugiono said the presence of the Chairman of the National Committee for Gaza Administration (NCAG) Ali Shaath at the Board of Peace (BoP) meeting in Washington DC, Thursday (19/2), confirmed the presence of Palestinian representatives who accepted the plan to deploy Indonesian personnel to the ISF in the forum.

"The Palestinians are there, and they already know, they already understand. Then we have also conveyed our national caveats, so everyone is involved," he said when giving a press conference in Washington DC, Friday (20/2) night local time.

According to the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the inclusion of Indonesian personnel in the ISF can help meet the demands of Ali Shaath, who emphasized the importance of maintaining a ceasefire as well as a safe and stable situation during the recovery in the Gaza Strip.

"The ceasefire, then the creation of a safe and stable atmosphere, are only the next stages that can be carried out, and that was also conveyed yesterday," said Sugiono.

Regarding the deployment point, he confirmed that Indonesian personnel would be deployed first in the Rafah area, southern Gaza, with further technical and operational details to be determined later.

Similarly, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela on Thursday (19/2) confirmed that Indonesia had held a dialogue with Palestine regarding the deployment of Indonesian personnel to Gaza through the ISF.

"Regarding involvement with ISF, we also consulted with the Palestinians, including through a meeting with the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations in New York," Nabyl said in a media briefing.

According to him, Indonesia continues to conduct dialogue and consultations with the Palestinians regarding the involvement of Indonesian personnel in the Gaza Strip. "Indonesia's participation in the ISF is also carried out based on the approval of the Palestinians," he said.

He also ensured that Indonesian personnel who are members of the ISF will focus on humanitarian tasks, such as reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure, protection of civilians, and provision of health services to the people of Gaza.

During the Peace Council meeting, President Prabowo Subianto emphasized Indonesia's readiness to contribute up to 8,000 personnel to maintain the ceasefire and peace in the Gaza Strip through the ISF mechanism.

Prabowo also expressed Indonesia's willingness to increase the number of personnel sent.