The Desperate Search for Gaza Peacekeepers
Many nations remain hesitant to join the proposed international stabilization force for Gaza. Roughly 20 miles from the territory, the United States operates a large coordination center within a former industrial complex in Kiryat Gat, a city in southern Israel. This civil-military hub hosts about 200 American soldiers and officials at any given time, serving as the main point of observation over the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas.
The personnel stationed there are not intended for combat operations or for implementing later phases of the Trump administration’s peace plan. Despite appeals, none of the United States’ allies or Arab partners have shown readiness to send troops to oversee Hamas if it declines to surrender its weapons.
The envisioned international stabilization force (ISF), designed to calm Israeli fears, enable the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw from Gaza, and support the region’s reconstruction, faces serious obstacles. Chief among them is Hamas itself.
“If Hamas refuses to disarm, as appears to be the case, then it’s unlikely that any states—Western or Arab—will want to send troops to Gaza.”
The uncertainty over who might contribute forces, and who Israel would trust to lead or join such a mission, further complicates hopes for deployment. The prospect of clashing with Hamas deters even the most capable nations, leaving the international effort stalled before it begins.
Author’s Summary
The search for peacekeepers in Gaza falters as nations avoid direct involvement, leaving the fragile cease-fire under observation but without a clear path to lasting stability.