Israeli government nods to international stabilisation force in Gaza

Israel's government has formally approved the entry of an International Stabilization Force into Gaza as a component of the Trump administration's broader peace framework. The force, composed of 200 personnel drawn from allied nations such as Uganda and Morocco, will function in coordination with Israeli military operations and will be restricted to areas not under direct Israeli control.

Israel's security cabinet has reserved the authority to determine which countries may contribute forces to the stabilization effort. No deployment timeline has been established, though the approval represents a procedural milestone in implementing the broader peace arrangement. The cabinet's decision comes ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Washington.

The stabilization force is one component of a multi-faceted plan that includes an international Board of Peace to oversee Gaza's administration and reconstruction, alongside a technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The framework also envisions Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal from the territory. Nickolay Mladenov, director-general of the Gaza Board of Peace, characterized Israel's approval as essential to achieving stabilization and enabling Palestinian transitional governance.

Current conditions in Gaza reflect ongoing tensions despite the October ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports 1,200 Palestinian deaths and 3,888 wounded since the deal's implementation. Israel currently occupies approximately 70 percent of Gaza's territory, with the population of nearly two million confined to a shrinking area as Israel continues adjusting its withdrawal boundaries under the agreement's first phase.