India, Feb. 14 -- Indonesia has begun training a contingent of up to 8,000 soldiers it plans to send as part of an international peacekeeping force to Gaza, the first firm commitment to a critical element of US President Donald Trump's postwar reconstruction plan. Indonesia has experience in peacekeeping operations as one of the top 10 contributors to United Nations missions, including in Lebanon, and has been deeply involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including funding a hospital.

But many Indonesians are sceptical of President Prabowo Subianto's plans to join Washington's proposed Board of Peace and participate in the International Security Force with only vague details so far on how they will operate, seeing it as simply k...