Indonesia group says to recruit fighters for Gaza

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A militant Muslim group in Indonesia said on Monday it plans to recruit as many as 1,000 volunteers to fight in the Gaza Strip in response to Israeli air strikes that have killed more than 300 Palestinians.

Indonesia's government joined in international condemnation of the attacks on the Gaza Strip, while more than 1,000 people rallied in central Jakarta to protest against the air strikes.

Ahmad Soebri Lubis, secretary-general of the Islamic Defenders' Front, said the group would start recruiting volunteer fighters in the next few days, and would send them for training at camps in Indonesia to prepare them for the "battleground." "Fighters should be in good physical condition, have a strong faith and be ready to die," Lubis told Reuters by telephone.

"They will be provided with a one-way ticket until we defeat Israel," he said, adding that the group has sent volunteers to Iraq and to Afghanistan in the past.

However, Indonesia's military chief, General Djoko Santoso, told reporters the Islamic Defenders' Front would have to consult with the government over its plans to send volunteer fighters, as "it's not so simple."

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reiterated condemnation of Israel's "excessive" attacks on the Gaza Strip and said he will send a letter to the U.N. secretary general as well as the U.N. Security Council urging swift action in resolving the conflict.

"The Security Council must formally meet and issue a resolution to force Israel to end all attacks," Yudhoyono told reporters.

"This time, the United Nations and the Security Council should pay serious attention and make a real contribution. Efforts toward the promotion of the Israel-Palestine peace process must continue."

Yudhoyono said Indonesia plans to give $1 million in cash for humanitarian efforts on top of about 2 billion rupiah ($181,000) in medical aid for Palestinian victims.

Israel said the strikes, which have killed 307 Palestinians, were launched in response to almost daily rocket and mortar fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip after the Islamist Hamas group ended a six-month ceasefire a week ago.

Many Indonesians support the Palestinian cause and are opposed to U.S. policies in the Middle East, particularly the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Predominantly Muslim Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The vast majority of Muslims in Indonesia are moderate, but groups like the Islamic Defenders' Front, usually known by its Indonesian acronym FPI, have grown more vocal in recent years.

In June this year the group attracted widespread condemnation when its supporters beat up and injured several people at a peaceful interfaith rally.

($1 = 11,000 rupiah)

(Reporting by Karima Anjani and Muklis Ali, Editing by Sara Webb and Sugita Katyal)