Indonesia’s military said that it was preparing to send thousands of troops to Gaza for a peacekeeping mission as part of President Trump’s Board of Peace initiative, in one of the most significant public statements of support for the effort.
The announcement Sunday came days ahead of the first Board of Peace summit meeting in Washington, which President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia and other world leaders are expected to attend on Thursday.
Brig. Gen. Donny Pramono, the Indonesian Army spokesman, said that around 1,000 troops would be ready to deploy to Gaza by early April, and the contingent would then grow to as many as 8,000. He said the deployment was still awaiting Mr. Prabowo’s final approval.
The government emphasized that the force would not engage in combat and was meant to help stabilize Gaza for humanitarian and rebuilding purposes. If approved, Indonesia’s pledge would be the first public commitment to send peacekeepers into Gaza.
Mr. Trump’s new Board of Peace has drawn sharp skepticism from some U.S. allies. The body, which mostly includes heads of state, was originally expected to supervise the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. But its charter gives the Board of Peace a sprawling, global mandate, and analysts say that Mr. Trump is trying to create a rival to the United Nations that puts him in charge.
Muktita Suhartono reports on Thailand and Indonesia. She is based in Bangkok.
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