JAKARTA (Bernama-Antara): Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is also the president-elect and set to be sworn into office in October, affirmed Indonesia's readiness to deploy peacekeeping forces to the Gaza Strip if necessary.
This deployment would be aimed at monitoring future ceasefires between Palestine and Israel, reported ANTARA news agency.
"We are prepared to contribute peacekeeping forces to maintain and monitor the prospective ceasefire as well as provide protection and security to all parties and all sides," Prabowo stated in his remarks during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, on Saturday (June 1).
Readiness to contribute peacekeeping forces highlights Indonesia's commitment to maintain peace in Gaza and realise a long-lasting ceasefire between conflicting sides, he said.
He added that this reflects Indonesia's support for the two-state solution as the final resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The minister also affirmed that Indonesia is ready to send medical personnel to operate field hospitals in Gaza, with the consent and agreement of all relevant parties.
"Indonesia also is very willing to evacuate and treat wounded Palestinian civilians and those needing hospital care in the Indonesian field hospitals," Prabowo stated.
He revealed that President Joko Widodo has instructed him to evacuate, admit, and treat with medical care 1,000 patients from Palestine in the immediate future.
On the international forum, the minister called all parties to collaborate in realising a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and long-lasting peace between Palestine and Israel.
Prabowo said that despite Gaza being in the Middle East and not in Southeast Asia, the conflict has been at the heart of most Indonesians sympathetic to the sufferings of the Palestinians, whom they consider as their brothers and sisters.
Indonesia also understands the need to resolve the conflict as it has been dragged on for decades without concrete solutions, he remarked. - Bernama-Antara
