Trump administration warns allies that failure to establish international security force for Gaza will hamper large-scale aid transfers and could doom peace plan, as potential partners fear their soldiers could face direct combat with Hamas.
By World Israel News Staff
The Trump administration is pressuring countries which backed last month’s Gaza peace plan and ceasefire deal to commit troops to a new international peacekeeping army tasked with policing the Gaza Strip and ensuring the Hamas terror organization disarms.
Under the terms of the 20-point peace plan, first revealed by the White House last month, during the second phase of the deal, the IDF will gradually relinquish territory in Gaza to an International Stabilization Force (ISF), which will secure and demilitarize the coastal enclave.
While a number of countries showed interest in providing soldiers for the ISF, in private, diplomats have suggested few nations are enthusiastic about deploying forces to Gaza.
One potential contributor, Azerbaijan, reportedly said last week that it would only send troops once fighting has ceased completely in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the ceasefire, there has been intermittent hostilities in Gaza over the past month, including Hamas attacks on IDF forces, Israeli retaliations to Hamas violations of the deal, and the elimination of Hamas terrorists who remained on the IDF side of the ceasefire line.
Recent changes by the US to a draft resolution sent to the United Nations Security Council for consideration have explicitly linked future Israeli withdrawals to the demilitarization of Gaza and disarming of Hamas.
Furthermore, the most recent draft removes ambiguity regarding the ISF’s role in “ensuring the process” of demilitarization in Gaza.
The ISF would, among other things, be required to demolish the extensive terror tunnel networks in Gaza, ensure the arsenals of Hamas and other terror groups are disposed of, and prevent the reestablishment of terrorist infrastructure.
The new version of the UNSC draft resolution, intended to chart a path towards implementation of the second phase of the Gaza deal, has raised concerns among American allies considering joining the ISF.
Arab and Muslim states which previously expressed an interest in supplying troops for the ISF are now pushing for understandings with Hamas to ensure an orderly process of disarming, suggesting that they may withhold their forces until an agreement is reached.
Speaking with reporters during his visit to Canada for the G7 on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the possible combat role the ISF could be forced to play in Gaza, saying it was a peacekeeping force.
“It shouldn’t be a fighting force,” Rubio said.
The Secretary of State called on Hamas to move forward with disarmament, while prodding American allies to pressure Hamas and to ensure the ISF is deployed to Gaza.
Rubio warned that without an international force to secure Gaza and to replace the IDF, the large-scale entry of aid to Gaza would not be possible.
“The question is, who’s going to be standing on that line and beyond it to provide security? Because you’re going to need security if you want to really flood Gaza, particularly in that red area that’s not in Israeli control.”
“If you really want to see a huge uptick, not just in humanitarian assistance but redevelopment, you’re going to need to have security, and that can’t be Hamas.”
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