Indonesia freezes its plan to send 8,000 troops to Gaza

Indonesia has put on hold its plan to send 8,000 soldiers to a US-backed international force meant to stabilise Gaza, a major setback for the plan. As the Associated Press reports, Indonesia had offered by far the largest number of troops of any country, well ahead of Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania, so freezing the pledge weakens the whole effort. Jakarta had planned to send 1,000 troops in April and the rest in June.

Indonesia's defense minister, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, said the country had received no clear "implementation guidelines" and pointed to a "lack of commitment from a distracted Washington." But analysts say domestic politics matter just as much. In the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, the war involving Israel and Iran is deeply unpopular, and it has added to the cost-of-living squeeze. Feelings hardened further after four Indonesian peacekeepers serving with a United Nations force in Lebanon were killed in fighting.

An analyst, Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, said the door is not fully closed, because President Prabowo Subianto wants to raise Indonesia's standing on the world stage and does not want to harm economic ties with the United States. For now, though, the pause leaves the Gaza force without its biggest planned contributor, and Indonesia weighing pride, principle, and public anger at home.

Why it matters

This decision shapes how Indonesia is seen as a global player, and whether it will back its strong words on Gaza with soldiers on the ground. For Indonesians, it reflects real public feeling about a distant war that also touches prices and politics at home. Watch whether Jakarta revives the pledge once conditions change, or steps back for good.