The U.S. draft resolution to establish an international force to deploy to Gaza, to enforce the U.S.-sponsored peace agreement, includes language sure to please Israel, but is likely to be unacceptable to some Arab states that fear being seen as enforcing Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinians. French daily Le Monde reports on Nov. 7 that the U.S. has circulated the draft and would like it passed in the UN Security Council by the end of November.
According to Le Monde, the text specifies that the international stabilization force will have to work with Israel and Egypt to carry out missions. The primary objective is to stabilize security in the enclave, notably by ensuring the demilitarization of Hamas. The goal is to “carry out the destruction and prevent the reconstitution of offensive military and terrorist infrastructure, as well as the permanent dismantling of weapons held by non-state armed groups,” according to the draft put forward by the U.S. Trump administration. This is primarily to serve the demands of Israel, which apparently has to give up little with respect to its occupation. Le Monde notes that the draft ignores principles such as non-deployment of Israeli forces in parts of the Gaza Strip they do not occupy, or their gradual withdrawal from areas where they remain.
An unnamed senior U.S. official told Reuters on Nov. 6 that the draft has regional support from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates, but this seems not to be entirely true. Arab and Muslim states, that want the U.S. to be part of an international stabilization force, are alarmed that they could be “trapped” into disarming Hamas by force, Middle East Eye reported on Nov. 6. Two Egyptian officials told MEE that Cairo believes more emphasis should be placed on “decommissioning” weapons, a point also addressed in the draft.
