• Italy offers to train Gaza police force; EU, Rome to attend Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting but limit participation
• Trump announces $5bn in pledges for Gaza reconstruction ahead of Washington summit

JAKARTA: Indonesia is preparing a total of 8,000 troops for potential deployment to Gaza by June as part of a proposed multinational peacekeeping force but the final decision on deployment rests with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the country’s army spokesperson said on Monday.

Army spokesperson Donny Pram­ono noted that initially 1,000 soldiers would be ready for deployment by early April.

“The departure schedule rema­ins entirely subject to the political decisions of the state and applicable international mechanisms,” Pra­mono said in a text message.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry clarified on Saturday that its military’s participation in the UN-mandated International Stabilisation Force should not be interpreted as a normalisation of political relations with Israel, a nation Jakarta does not recognise.

The deployment would carry a non-combatant, humanitarian mandate and requires the consent of the Palestinian Authority.

“Indonesia consistently rejects all attempts at demographic change or the forced displacement or relocation of the Palestinian people in any form,” the ministry said, adding that its troops would have no mandate to demilitarise any party.

The deployment plans are being announced as global leaders convene for the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, which will be chai­red by US President Donald Trump. Additionally, President Subianto is set to travel to Washington this week to participate in the event.

While the board was endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution to oversee the Gaza truce, the European Union insisted on Monday that while it will participate in the meeting, Brussels would not be joining as a member.

European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica will represent the bloc in Washington.

“She will participate in the meeting of the Board of Peace for the specific part dedicated to Gaza. Let me stress that the European Commission, it’s not becoming a member to the Board of Peace,” EU spokesman Guillaume Mercier said.

Some member states have raised concerns that the board could morph into a rival to the UN. “We still have a number of questions regarding several elements in the Board of Peace: one concerning its scope, two concerning its governance, and three, its compatibility with the UN Charter,” EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.

Meanwhile, Italy aims to play a role in stabilising the Middle East by offering training support while their Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed Rome is ready to participate as an observer.

“We are ready to train a new Gaza police force, and we are also ready to train a Palestinian police force,” Tajani told a news conference in Rome.

Ahead of the summit, President Trump announced that members of the US-led body have pledged more than $5 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction and committed thousands of personnel to international stabilisation efforts.

Trump plans to host the meeting on Feb 19 at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026