Indonesia says it could send 8,000 soldiers to Gaza
A proposed multinational peacekeeping force for Gaza could total about 20,000 troops, with Indonesia estimating it could contribute up to 8,000, according to President Prabowo Subianto’s spokesman.
The spokesman added that no deployment terms or areas of operation had been agreed. Prabowo has been invited to Washington later this month for the first meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace.
Last year, Indonesia committed to readying 20,000 soldiers for deployment for a Gaza peacekeeping force, but it has said it is awaiting more details on the force’s mandate before confirming deployment.
“We are just preparing ourselves in case an agreement is reached and we have to send peacekeeping forces,” presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi told journalists.
He added that there would be negotiations before Indonesia paid the $1bn being asked for permanent membership of the board.
UNIFIL to withdraw most troops from Lebanon by mid-2027
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon plans to withdraw most of its troops by mid-2027, its spokesperson has told the AFP news agency.
UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades and has been assisting the Lebanese army as it dismantles Hezbollah infrastructure near the Israeli border, after a recent war between Israel and the Lebanese group.
Under pressure from the US and Israel, the UN Security Council voted last year to end the force’s mandate on December 31, 2026, with an “orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal” within one year.
Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said “UNIFIL is planning to draw down and withdraw all, or substantially all, uniformed personnel by midyear 2027”, completing the pullout by year-end.
After UNIFIL operations cease on December 31 this year, she said, “we begin the process of sending UNIFIL personnel and equipment home and transferring our UN positions to the Lebanese authorities.”
