The United States has sent several members of the UN Security Council a draft resolution calling for the establishment of an international force in Gaza for at least two years. Axios reports this, citing some sources, according to which the resolution would give the United States and participating countries a broad mandate to govern and provide security in the Strip until the end of 2027, with the possibility of extending the mandate.
The resolution will form the basis for negotiations between members of the Security Council with the aim of establishing the international force in the coming weeks and deploying the first troops in January. According to a copy of the draft published by Axios, the so-called International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be tasked with protecting the Gaza Strip’s borders with Israel and Egypt, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian zones and training new Palestinian police officers with whom it will collaborate.
The force’s mandate will apparently include the disarmament of Hamas, with the draft stating that the ISF will “stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of reconstruction of military, terrorist and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons of non-state armed groups.”
The draft also states that the ISF will carry out “additional tasks that may be necessary in support of the Gaza Agreement” and that it will be established and operate “in close consultation and cooperation with Egypt and Israel”.
The resolution calls for granting the Board of Peace proposed by US President Donald Trump the powers of “a transitional government administration with international legal personality that will set the framework and coordinate financing for the redevelopment of Gaza in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan, until the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its reform program.” According to a Haaretz source, the proposal responds to many of Israel’s requests and was agreed in advance with the latter.