Plans for an multinational stabilisation force authorized by the United Nations to demilitarize Hamas in the Gaza Strip are encountering growing opposition after the United Arab Emirates stated it would not join due to the lack of a clear legal structure.
Growing Global Concerns
Israeli authorities have previously excluded Turkey participation, and Jordan's King Abdullah has stated that his country's troops will not join. Azerbaijan, once mooted as a potential participant, did not attend a planning meeting in Turkey and indicated it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was in place.
Emirati officials lacks clarity on a clear framework for the stability mission and under such circumstances will not participate, but will support all political initiatives towards peace – and remain at the vanguard of relief efforts.
Regional Skepticism and Legal Issues
The Emirati announcement, delivered by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in the UAE capital, reflects regional reservations about the provisions of a American-proposed document already circulated to diplomats at the UN in New York. The proposal places an onus on a American-led stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring security in Gaza after Israeli forces have withdrawn from the territory.
Arab states would like expanded responsibilities to be assigned to a separate Palestinian civilian police force. International law would also prohibit foreign troops from entering occupied Palestinian territories unless there was clear Palestinian consent; without it, the mission could be seen as imposed under international statutes, and arguably stabilising an illegal Israeli occupation.
Palestinian Perspectives and Appeals for Definition
A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan commented: “It is critical that the force be sent not to stabilise the illegal presence, but to enforce global standards and terminate it. The mission will succeed as long as it enters the entire disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the request of Palestine, and has a clear goal to conclude the occupation within the framework of a sovereign state of Palestine.”
There is no reference to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israeli leadership rejects.
Ongoing Discussions and Potential Dangers
In-depth negotiations on the mission mandate, including its leadership structure, started formally on Thursday in New York, and appear to be lengthy – risking the emergence of a vacuum in Gaza that may strengthen militant factions.
The United States is proposing that it lead the mission although it will not have many troops deployed on the terrain. It has already effectively assumed command of the delivery of relief supplies into Gaza from a new logistical hub based in Israel.
Force Objectives and Governance Role
The draft US resolution outlines the aim of the stabilisation force as “along with the recently prepared and vetted law enforcement to help secure frontier zones, stabilise the security environment in the region by guaranteeing the procedure of demilitarising the Gaza Strip including the elimination and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from militant factions”.
The force, reporting to a “board of peace” chaired by the former US president, and not to the UN, would be mandated to use “any required actions” to fulfill its goals.
Regional powers including Qatar are also concerned that this authority is too expansive, and if Hamas is to disarm, the faction will only do so to fellow Palestinians, probably in the local law enforcement, at a time that, from the militant perspective, signifies the conclusion of occupation.
They also worry the proposed authority extends to giving the mission a governance function in Gaza, a responsibility that was to be reserved for a local technocratic committee working in conjunction with a restructured Palestinian Authority.
Aid Aspects and Financial Issues
This “transitional governance administration” in the strip would remain until “the Palestinian Authority has adequately completed its restructuring plan, the satisfaction of which shall be acceptable to the board of peace”, the proposal says. It also “emphasizes the significance” of full relief in Gaza, including through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the humanitarian organizations.
However, it allows for the exclusion of “any group found to have misused such aid”. The wording permits the board of peace barring the UN relief agency, the organization that the global judicial body has said is the lawful provider of aid.
Global Political Initiatives
France and Saudi Arabia are currently advocating for a mention to a sovereign Palestine to be included in the resolution. The Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the US presidential residence on the specified date, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has said that a mention to a independent Palestine is a requirement.
The Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, in the French capital on Monday to discuss the PA role.
Not the United Nations nor the 15-member security council are assigned a oversight role over the mission, supervising the implementation of the resolution, a aspect mostly ignored by the proposed document. No details is outlined about the financing of this stabilisation mission, which, according to the US officials, should be mostly covered by regional nations, with Saudi Arabia assuming primary responsibility.
Israeli Requests and Regional Situations
Israeli authorities is seeking formal assurances from the United States that it be permitted to follow the model of Lebanon and retain the right to return to Gaza if it considers demilitarization is not taking place at a scale or pace it demands.
The request was put to the former US advisor, Donald Trump’s relative, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in the Israeli capital on Monday to discuss progress on the truce and Witkoff was scheduled to arrive later the same day.
Just the bodies of four of the original hundreds of Israeli hostages remain unreturned.
Independently, Israel has been proposing that the territory could yet be split in two with rebuilding efforts beginning in the Israel occupied parts of the strip. International officials maintain that this is not part of the former US administration's proposal.
