Israel approves Gaza stabilisation force as Netanyahu heads to Washington

Israel's security cabinet has approved key legal measures for an International Stabilization Force to enter Gaza, moving forward a central element of Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan. The force is expected to operate in areas outside Israeli military control and to work in full coordination with the Israeli military. The decision was reported on Sunday, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to travel to Washington.

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According to the supplied reporting, the proposed force would include about 200 personnel from friendly countries, with Uganda and Morocco named among the possible contributors. Israel will have authority to approve which countries can send forces, and no deployment timetable has been announced. The cabinet decision gives a legal basis for the mission, but it does not settle who will join it or when it will begin.

The approval comes against the backdrop of a ceasefire environment that remains unstable. The Palestinian Ministry of Health says 1,200 Palestinians have been killed and 3,888 wounded since the ceasefire deal was implemented in October, with reports of killings continuing almost daily. Israel currently occupies close to 70% of Gaza, and the population of almost two million remains concentrated in a shrinking part of the territory.

The move matters because the stabilisation force is tied to a wider post-war framework for Gaza that also includes an international Board of Peace and a technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Under the same plan, Hamas is expected to disarm and Israeli forces are meant to withdraw from the strip. That makes the force not just a security measure, but part of a broader attempt to shape Gaza's future governance and reconstruction.

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The plan has already drawn scrutiny because the Board of Peace was reportedly refused by most Western countries, while the proposed Palestinian transitional administration has yet to take control on the ground. Nickolay Mladenov, the director-general of the Gaza Board of Peace, welcomed Israel's approval and called it a critical part of the agreed framework for stabilising Gaza, supporting demilitarisation and enabling a transition to effective Palestinian transitional administration. His comments underline how dependent the wider plan remains on political buy-in from multiple sides.

What remains unclear is whether the force will be deployed at all, which countries will formally commit personnel, and how it would operate alongside Israeli control over access, aid and movement. It is also uncertain how the mission would interact with the still-unresolved question of Hamas disarmament and the stalled civilian administration plan. The coming days, including Netanyahu's visit to Washington, are likely to be closely watched for signs of whether the framework is moving from approval to implementation.

Israel has approved the legal framework for a proposed multinational security force to enter Gaza under a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan, according to an Israeli official. The decision was taken by the security cabinet on Sunday, opening the way for a force described as the International Stabilization Force to be deployed in areas not under Israeli control. The move comes as Israel says it intends to expand its area of control in Gaza, while Hamas has not agreed to disarm.

The official said the proposed force would include about 200 personnel from countries described as friendly, including Uganda and Morocco. Israel said each national contingent would need separate approval before entering Gaza, and no timetable for deployment was given. Benjamin Netanyahu is due to leave for Washington on Monday and meet Donald Trump on Tuesday, adding a diplomatic dimension to the cabinet decision.

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The framework is tied to the ceasefire proposal put forward by Trump for Gaza. The announcement comes against the backdrop of a territory that remains heavily damaged after two years of Israeli offensive operations triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. The official said much of Gaza remains in ruins, with around 2 million people living in a narrow coastal strip, many in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

Israel currently controls about 64% of Gaza, according to the same account, while areas outside that control remain central to the proposed international deployment. The plan also envisages humanitarian aid, civilian administration by Palestinian technocrats, the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but it has stalled. The cabinet approval is significant because it gives a legal basis to a possible foreign presence in Gaza at a time when the future of the ceasefire process remains uncertain.

Any multinational force would be expected to operate in a highly sensitive environment, where questions of security, access and command would be closely linked to the wider political settlement. The fact that Israel would retain individual approval over each contingent suggests the deployment would remain tightly controlled. That could shape both the pace of any mission and the countries willing to take part.

The proposal also reflects the continuing gap between the ceasefire framework and conditions on the ground. The technocratic body intended to handle Gaza's civilian administration, known as the National Committee for Gaza Administration, has not entered the territory. Hamas has so far refused to lay down its weapons, which remains one of the central obstacles to the plan.

At the same time, Israel's stated intention to widen its control in Gaza indicates that military and diplomatic tracks are still moving in parallel rather than converging. What remains unclear is when, or whether, the force will actually be deployed and which countries will formally commit troops. It is also not clear how the proposed mission would interact with Israeli control on the ground or with the stalled civilian administration plan.

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