Two U.S. officials said on Friday that U.S. Central Command will host a conference in Doha on December 16 with partner countries to develop a plan to establish an international force to stabilize Gaza.
The officials said 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 proposed force in Gaza.
Reuters previously quoted U.S. officials as saying that international forces could be deployed to the Gaza Strip as early as next month to form the UN-authorized stabilization force, though it remains unclear how Hamas would be disarmed.
The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, 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, composition, basing, training, and rules of engagement of the force.
Indonesia said it is prepared to deploy up to 20,000 troops to carry out health- and construction-related tasks in Gaza.
The UN Security Council authorized the international force to operate alongside a recently trained and vetted Palestinian police force to achieve security stability “by ensuring the disarmament of the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of military infrastructure and the prevention of its reconstruction, as well as the permanent disarmament of non-state Palestinian factions.”
However, the exact mechanism for implementing this has yet to be clarified.
The deployment of the force is considered a key part of the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza. As part of the first phase, a ceasefire in the two-year-long war began on October 10, with Hamas releasing hostages while Israel freed Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
Reuters
