Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto clarified on Friday (20/3/2026) that Indonesia’s proposed peacekeeping mission to Gaza is strictly humanitarian and will not participate in the "deweaponization" of Hamas. 

Speaking in a "President Prabowo Answers" broadcast, he explained that the mission's sole purpose is the protection of civilians from all forms of aggression, aligning with Indonesia’s long-standing support for Palestinian independence.

"We do not want to be involved in taking weapons from Hamas. What we want is to guard the civilian population from any attacks," President Prabowo said, as cited by antaranews.com.

He said that the current "on hold" status of the deployment is due to the escalating conflict between the U.S.-Israel bloc and Iran, which has rendered the regional geopolitical climate too volatile for immediate entry. 

President Prabowo outlined that for the mission to proceed under the Board of Peace (BoP) framework, Indonesia requires the explicit consent of Hamas as the de facto local authority, as well as support from key regional partners including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar, and Egypt. 

Although 8,000 Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers are prepared to join the International Stabilization Force (ISF), the President invoked "national caveats" to ensure Indonesian troops remain strictly non-confrontational and avoid any direct military action against local factions.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)