Indonesia denies reports that President Prabowo will visit Israel

KARACHI / ISTANBUL

Indonesia on Monday denied reports that President Prabowo Subianto will visit Israel after completing his trip to Egypt.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry “firmly” stated that Prabowo will not visit Israel, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

“Not true,” said Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang, responding to journalists' questions on whether Prabowo was planning to visit Israel.

The Times of Israel and Ynet news outlet had earlier reported that preparations were underway for the visit of Prabowo, who could travel to Israel on Tuesday or Wednesday – which could be the first by any Indonesian president.

Prabowo is in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Egypt is hosting an international peace summit on the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his US counterpart Donald Trump.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, who is accompanying Prabowo, also denied such claims.

“It's not true. As per the initial plan, the President will return to the homeland after the event in Egypt is completed," Sugiono in a written statement, according to Indonesia news outlet Tempo.​​​​​​​

On ending the two-year-long war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, Prabowo has pledged to deploy 20,000 Indonesian forces as possible peacekeeping troops in the Gaza Strip.

Before flying to Egypt, Prabowo instructed the Indonesian Armed Forces to prepare peacekeeping troops, pending the outcome of the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt and approval from the UN Security Council, Antara reported.