Palestine defers Indonesia-Malaysia peacekeeper proposal, focuses on conflict resolution

Palestine has responded to Indonesia and Malaysia’s suggestion of sending a United Nations (UN) mandated peacekeeping force to Gaza, currently under attack by Israel.

The Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, Riyad Mansour, indicated that now is not the appropriate time to implement this idea as Palestine and the international community are focused on ending the conflict.

Mansour made this statement during a visit to Indonesia with the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP).

“We are at the point of ending the war and saving lives, and our energies are exhausted. Most of our efforts are concentrated on ending the war,” Mansour emphasized during a press conference at Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Thursday (4 July).

He acknowledged the intentions behind Indonesia and Malaysia’s proposal but stressed that addressing this issue would only be feasible once the Israeli offensive ended.

Mansour highlighted the need to resolve numerous other issues post-conflict, including the readiness of Indonesia and Malaysia to provide security forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“While we welcome all intentions of those who want to help, at the moment we are not at a stage to address the issue. After the end of the war, we will look at all options with an open mind to consider which ones can be applied and which ones are useful and which ones are not,” he added.

Mansour pointed out that the current situation in Gaza has not yet reached a stage where peacekeepers are needed.

“We are not there yet. We are not putting it aside, but we are not dwelling on the idea,” he said, noting that deploying troops now would be premature.

Indonesia and Malaysia ready to deploy peacekeeping forces to Gaza

The idea of sending a peacekeeping force to Gaza was first raised by Indonesia’s Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 forum in Singapore on 1 June, Prabowo specifically addressed the conflict in Gaza, condemning Israel’s actions in attacking civilians in Rafah.

He called for an immediate investigation into these incidents, which have resulted in the loss of innocent lives, including children, women, and unarmed citizens.

Prabowo advocated for a two-state solution as the only viable path to lasting peace and security for Israel and Palestine.

“We believe that along with many other countries in the world today, the only real solution for lasting peace and security for Israel and Palestine is a two-state solution,” Prabowo stated.

He also confirmed Indonesia’s readiness to deploy peacekeeping troops and medical personnel to Gaza if requested by the UN.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during a telephone conversation with Prabowo on 1 July, expressed support for the idea of a joint international peacekeeping mission.

Anwar welcomed the idea of cooperation in a Malaysia-Indonesia international peacekeeping mission, with the potential for this collaboration to be extended to the ASEAN region.

“In our approximately three-minute conversation, we also exchanged views on current issues, particularly Prabowo’s recent role in representing Indonesia on the international stage, and his vision for regional and global collaboration and peace.”

“Touching on the humanitarian situation in Palestine, I conveyed Malaysia’s readiness to cooperate, including in the deployment of peacekeeping forces alongside Indonesia, should a mandate be granted by the UN,” he stated in a Facebook post.

According to the UN, peacekeepers are deployed to provide security, political support, and peace-building to help countries transition from conflict to peace.

The deployment of these forces involves the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretariat, troop and police contributors, and the host government.