Indonesia to Send Peacekeepers, Medical Staff to Gaza

Singapore – Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is also president-elect revealed that Indonesia is ready to send peacekeeping troops to the Gaza Strip.

"We are prepared to contribute peacekeeping troops to maintain and monitor the prospective ceasefire as well as provide protection and security to all parties and all sides," the Minister stated in his remarks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, on Saturday (June 1).

Readiness to contribute peacekeeping forces highlights Indonesia's commitment to maintain peace in Gaza and realise a long-lasting ceasefire between conflicting sides, he said.

Minister Subianto added that this reflects Indonesia's support for the two-state solution as the final resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The minister also affirmed that Indonesia is ready to send medical personnel to operate field hospitals in Gaza, with the consent and agreement of all relevant parties.

"Indonesia also is very willing to evacuate and treat wounded Palestinian civilians and those needing hospital care in the Indonesian field hospitals," Minister Subianto remarked.

He revealed that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed him to evacuate, admit, and treat with medical care 1,000 patients from Palestine in the immediate future.

On the international forum, the minister called all parties to collaborate in realising a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and long-lasting peace between Palestine and Israel.

The Indonesian President-elect further said that despite Gaza being in the Middle East and not in Southeast Asia, the conflict has been at the heart of most Indonesians sympathetic to the sufferings of their Palestinians, whom they consider as their brothers and sisters.

Indonesia also understands the need to resolve the conflict as it has been dragged on for decades without concrete solutions, he concluded.