February 21, 2026 | 08:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The spokesperson for Hamas, Hazem Qassem, stated that the Palestinian group is open to the presence of international peacekeeping forces in Gaza but rejects any interference in the internal affairs of the region.
During the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday, it was announced that several countries would send troops to the newly formed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza.
Morocco announced its willingness to send police and troops to the ISF, while American commander Major General Jasper Jeffers stated that Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Kosovo have also committed to sending troops.
"Our position on international forces is clear," said Hamas spokesperson Qassem, as quoted from Al Arabiya.
"We want peacekeeping forces that monitor the ceasefire, ensure its implementation, and act as a buffer between the occupation army and our people in the Gaza Strip, without interfering in Gaza’s internal affairs," he stated.
The ISF aims to have 20,000 troops and new police forces. Indonesia is prepared to send up to 8,000 troops.
Nickolay Mladenov, appointed as the high representative for Gaza by the U.S., announced the start of recruiting police forces after Hamas at the Board of Peace meeting.
"Training Palestinian police forces within their national framework is not a problem if it is aimed at maintaining internal security in the Strip and confronting the chaos that the occupation and its militias seek to create," Qassem stated.
The Board of Peace was formed after the Trump administration, with longstanding mediators Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt the two-year devastating war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Indonesia was selected as the Deputy Commander of the ISF. According to the Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, this position was granted to Indonesia as a reflection of appreciation for its reputation in global peacekeeping missions. "The position of deputy commander is a form of honor and recognition of Indonesia's track record, as well as the reputation of Indonesian soldiers in various peacekeeping missions," Sugiono stated at a press briefing in Washington DC, as reported by Antara.
He explained that the ISF command consists of a commander who oversees three deputy commanders. Indonesia has been entrusted with the position of operations deputy commander. The ISF command is determined based on the largest contribution of personnel from participating countries. As the U.S. has the largest contribution, the country is honored as the ISF Commander.
It is estimated that around 20,000 ISF personnel are stationed in the Gaza Strip, with approximately 12,000 of those being police.
At the Board of Peace meeting in Washington DC on Thursday, February 19, Major General Jasper Jeffers, ISF Commander, announced that Indonesia has accepted the offer to become Deputy Commander of the ISF.
Meanwhile, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, after the Board of Peace meeting, confirmed that Indonesia was offered the position of Deputy Commander of the ISF and has accepted the offer.
Read: Prabowo: First Batch of Soldiers Likely Depart for Gaza in 'One or Two Months'
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