Overview
- U.S. officials plan to present details of an International Stabilization Force for Gaza within weeks, with Al Arabiya reporting the deployment could follow on a similar timeline.
- U.S. Central Command is drafting the concept, pairing Arab and Muslim troops with a Palestinian police force vetted and trained by the U.S., Egypt and Jordan.
- Washington is preparing a UN Security Council resolution to provide a legal mandate while keeping the mission distinct from UN peacekeeping and under U.S. oversight.
- Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Turkey have signaled potential participation, but Israel opposes any Turkish military presence even as U.S. officials view Ankara, Qatar and Egypt as vital interlocutors with Hamas.
- Key hurdles include securing Hamas consent and credible assurances for its fighters, addressing Israeli skepticism about control, and finding states willing to risk combat; under President Trump’s plan, ISF deployment is tied to further Israeli withdrawals from roughly half of Gaza.