Representatives of the United States are conducting negotiations with several countries on the creation of the so-called international stabilization forces (ISF) that would be deployed to the Gaza Strip as part of the peace plan. They intend to present a specific proposal in the coming weeks, three unnamed sources told the Axios portal on Thursday, reports TASR.
- The US is negotiating the creation of an international stabilization force for Gaza.
- The international forces are supposed to secure the security and borders of Gaza.
- The deployment of forces is a condition for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza.
- Hamas must agree to the deployment of stabilization forces to Gaza.
- Discussion on conditions of deployment and participation of international countries.
The preparation of the plan for the ISF is led by the US Army’s Central Command for Middle East Operations (CENTCOM). The force is to include a new Palestinian police force to be trained and controlled by the US, Egypt and Jordan, along with soldiers from Arab and Muslim countries. Several countries, including Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Turkey, have already indicated their willingness to contribute their own soldiers.
Plan for withdrawal of Israeli forces
“If there is no security in Gaza and a reliable administration that the Israelis agree to, we will be stuck in a situation where Israel will constantly attack,” said one of the sources involved in the planning.
Under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the deployment of international stabilization forces is a condition for the Israeli army to withdraw from the roughly 50 percent of the Gaza Strip that it still controls. The ISF is expected to focus on securing the Palestinian enclave’s border with Israel and preventing arms smuggling.
Negotiations with the Hamas movement
According to Axios, however, it all depends on the willingness of the militant Hamas movement to give up its rule in the strip and at least part of its weapons arsenal.
The creation of the ISF was a key topic of discussion in meetings held by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during recent visits to Israel. According to an Israeli source, the American side indicated its ideas regarding the size of the ISF, while the Israelis emphasized that the legitimacy of the force in the minds of the local population and their willingness to fight, or even kill if necessary, is much more important.
US officials are trying to prevent a renewal of war in the Gaza Strip and see the ISF as a key part of the solution, but they are aware that it cannot be rushed, Axios wrote. “It’s better to proceed slowly and do it right, because we won’t get a second chance,” a high-ranking US official told the news portal.
Risks of deploying stabilization forces
One point of contention is that few countries are prepared to send their troops to fight Hamas, or send them into the crossfire between Hamas and rival groups — let alone between Hamas and Israel. A fragile truce has been in place between Israel and the Palestinian movement since October 10, despite occasional Israeli attacks.
Turkey has also expressed its willingness to participate in the ISF, but Israel rejects its military presence in Gaza. Still, the United States wants Turkey to join the process, along with Qatar and Egypt, because it sees them as the countries most capable of forcing Hamas to “behave,” the unnamed U.S. source said.
Dilema Hamasu
According to Axios, the main goal now is to convince Hamas to even agree to the deployment of the ISF. “If you enter an environment where Hamas sees you as an occupying force, it will be difficult. But if Hamas agrees, that’s a different situation,” one of the officials thinks. In such a scenario, the ISF would not have to wage war against Hamas, but only promote peace and fight elements that seek to disrupt it.
According to mediators, the militant movement indicated that it could give its consent. The key is for Hamas to believe that its fighters will actually receive amnesty if it agrees to move forward and won’t be hunted the next day by international forces or its Palestinian enemies, the US official added.
