U.S. Circulates Draft for Gaza Enforcement Force

The United States circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to establish an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza with a broad enforcement mandate of at least two years to secure Gaza’s borders, protect civilians and humanitarian corridors, train a new Palestinian police force, and oversee demilitarization including the disarmament of Hamas. The draft ties the ISF to a Trump-proposed “Board of Peace” with transitional governance powers through the end of 2027 and envisions the force operating “in close consultation and cooperation with Egypt and Israel.” U.S. officials say the ISF would be an enforcement, not a traditional peacekeeping, force and hope to negotiate the resolution at the Security Council and deploy initial troops by January. Regional and Muslim-majority states—including Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia—have discussed the mandate and could contribute, but Israel has objected to some potential participants (notably Turkey) and potential contributors are withholding formal commitments pending clarity on force size, chain-of-command, leadership, duration and the specifics of the disarmament mandate. Analysts warn the ceasefire and the U.S. plan remain fragile and will require a firmer U.N.-backed framework to succeed.