WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he expects a US-coordinated international stabilisation force to deploy in Gaza “very soon” as part of his post-war peace plan for the enclave, which remains gripped by a humanitarian crisis amid continuing Israeli bombardment.
“It’s going to be very soon. And Gaza is working out very well,” Trump told reporters Thursday, adding that an alliance of “very powerful countries” had volunteered to step in if any issues arose with Hamas, which has yet to commit to disarmament.
The president’s comments came as the UN Security Council readies negotiations on authorising a two-year mandate for a transitional governance body and stabilisation force aimed at protecting civilians, securing Gaza’s borders, and training Palestinian police.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Al Jazeera earlier this week that any such force must have “full international legitimacy” to support Palestinians in Gaza.
According to a senior US official quoted by Reuters, discussions on the draft resolution — circulated to 10 elected UNSC members and regional partners including Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye — are set to begin Thursday. The proposed mandate would authorise a 20,000-strong force to “use all necessary measures,” allowing it to employ military force if required.
While the peace framework helped secure a limited ceasefire and the release of captives on October 10, Israel has since been accused of repeatedly violating the truce through continued airstrikes and restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Turkiye played a pivotal diplomatic role in the process, persuading Hamas to engage and hosting a high-level meeting in Istanbul this week with foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia to rally support for the force. Ankara has sharply criticised Israel’s military actions, calling them genocidal and demanding an end to violations of the fragile truce.
However, Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, have stated unequivocally that Israel “will not accept” Turkish troops as part of any deployment in Gaza.
Netanyahu reiterated in September, during a joint press conference with Trump, that “Israel will retain security responsibility, including a security perimeter, for the foreseeable future” in Gaza.
The commander of the US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, also confirmed last month that no American troops would be stationed in Gaza.
