Washington seeks to deploy international forces to Gaza early this year
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Yemen – Agencies
International forces could be deployed to the Gaza Strip as early as next month to form a UN-authorized stabilization force, but it is not yet clear how to disarm the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), two US officials told Reuters.
The two officials, who declined to reveal their identities, said the international stabilization force would not fight Hamas. They added that many countries have expressed interest in contributing and that U.S. officials are currently working to determine the size of the international force, its formation, its residency and training locations, and its rules of engagement.
The two officials said the US Central Command would hold a conference in Doha on December 16 with partner countries to plan an international stabilization force in Gaza.
They added that more than 25 countries are expected to send representatives to the conference, which will include sessions on the command structure and other issues related to the Gaza force.
Both officials said a two-star U.S. general was being considered to lead the force, but no decision had been made.
The deployment of the force is a key part of the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. As part of the first phase, a fragile ceasefire in the two-year war began on October 10, with Hamas releasing hostages while Israel freed Palestinian prisoners.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt told reporters yesterday Thursday: “There is a lot of quiet planning going on behind the scenes right now for the second phase of the peace agreement…We want to ensure lasting and continuing peace.” »
* Indonesia prepares its forces
Indonesia said it was ready to deploy up to 20,000 troops to take over health and construction tasks in Gaza.
“It is still in the planning and preparation stage. We are currently preparing the organizational structure of the forces that will be deployed,” said Rico Sirait, spokesperson for the Indonesian Defense Ministry.
Israel still controls 53 percent of the Gaza Strip, while almost all of the strip’s two million residents live in the remaining area controlled by Hamas.
The two US officials said the plan, to be finalized by the so-called peace council, calls for the deployment of an international force in the area controlled by Israel.
According to Trump’s plan, when the international force consolidates its control and establishes stability, Israeli forces will gradually withdraw “according to the criteria, stages and timelines associated with disarmament.”
The UN Security Council resolution issued on November 17 authorized the Peace Council and countries cooperating with it to form the international force. Trump said Wednesday that world leaders who will serve on the Peace Council will be announced early next year.
* Disarm Gaza
The Security Council authorized the international force to work alongside the recently trained and verified Palestinian police to achieve security stability “by ensuring the process of disarming the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of military, terrorist and offensive infrastructure and preventing its reconstruction, as well as the permanent disarmament of non-state armed groups.”
However, it is not yet clear how exactly this will be implemented.
The American Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Walts, indicated yesterday Thursday that the Security Council had authorized the international force to disarm Gaza by any means necessary, that is to say the use of force.
“It is clear that this will be the subject of discussions with all countries,” he told Israel’s Channel 12, adding that discussions on the rules of engagement were ongoing.
Hamas has stated that the issue of disarmament has not been formally discussed with it by the mediators, namely the United States, Egypt and Qatar, and that the movement’s position remains that it will not disarm before the creation of a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech on Sunday that the second phase would move towards demilitarization and disarmament.
“This raises a question now,” Netanyahu said. “Our American friends want to try to create a multinational task force to accomplish this mission. I told them I’m happy to do that. Are there any volunteers here? Please.”
He added: “We know that there are specific activities that this force can carry out… but some things are beyond its capabilities, and perhaps the most important part is beyond its capabilities, but we will see what happens.”
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