Jakarta is weighing a risky proposition: sending troops to Gaza not as neutral peacekeepers, but as part of a force that critics say could legitimize Israel’s ongoing occupation. More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s war began, and the proposed international force is raising fears it will focus on disarming Palestinians rather than addressing the root causes of the conflict.
A Troubled Plan for ‘Stabilization’
The proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) is sparking debate over whether it will bring peace or simply manage an occupation.
- The U.S.-backed ISF aims to disarm Hamas, but makes no demands of Israel regarding withdrawal or lifting the blockade.
- Critics argue the force woudl effectively police the occupied population while Israel maintains military control.
- Indonesia, a nation with a history of supporting Palestinian rights, faces a challenging choice with potential implications for its international standing.
- Turkey and Egypt have so far resisted committing troops to forcibly disarm Palestinian factions.
What’s the core concern with the ISF? The force’s primary mandate, as stated by Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, is to disarm Hamas “by all means necessary.” President trump has echoed this sentiment, promising disarmament “the easy way or the hard way.” This focus on disarming Palestinians, without any parallel pressure on Israel to end its occupation, is at the heart of the controversy.
The proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF), a central component of President Trump’s plan for Gaza, is being presented as a humanitarian intervention-temporary, multilateral, and essential for stabilizing a devastated territory. But strip away the rhetoric, and the ISF reveals itself as something far more perilous: an attempt to internationalize the management of Israel’s occupation while simultaneously absolving Israel of responsibility for the widespread destruction it has inflicted.
Gaza’s suffering isn’t due to a lack of oversight; it’s the result of siege, relentless bombardment, and occupation. As the start of Israel’s war,over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed,according to reports from December 2,2025. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, and aid deliveries have been deliberately delayed and politicized. Israel has violated the current cease-fire hundreds of times since it took effect on October 10, 2025, yet the ISF isn’t designed to address these issues.
Indonesian officials have attempted to frame their potential role as temporary and humanitarian, emphasizing aid access and a transition toward a two-state solution. Foreign Minister Sugiono ha
