Israel’s security cabinet has approved a legal framework allowing an international force to enter parts of Gaza outside its military control.
Gaza – Web Desk: Israel’s security cabinet has approved a legal framework permitting an international force to enter designated areas of the Gaza Strip, an Israeli official said, marking a step toward implementing a stalled ceasefire arrangement in the Palestinian territory.
According to a foreign news agency, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet endorsed the measure on Sunday, paving the way for what has been named the “International Stabilization Force” to begin operating in parts of Gaza that remain outside Israeli military control.
The official said the mission would initially comprise roughly 200 personnel, drawn from what was described as “friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco.” No timeline has yet been announced for when the force will actually deploy on the ground.
Under the approved framework, each contingent entering Gaza will require separate authorization from Israel before it can be deployed, underscoring the degree of oversight Israeli authorities intend to retain over the mission even as it hands over stabilization duties in non-controlled zones.
The move comes months after a ceasefire agreement was reached last October, following which US President Donald Trump unveiled a broader peace plan for Gaza. That plan envisioned expanded humanitarian assistance, a transition to civilian administration led by Palestinian technocrats, the disarmament of Hamas, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
However, implementation of the plan has largely stalled. A technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which was meant to oversee civil governance, has still not entered the territory, leaving a governance vacuum in areas nominally slated for handover.
Israel currently maintains control over approximately 64 percent of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, an estimated two million Palestinians remain confined to a shrinking Hamas-controlled section of the coastal enclave, living in dire conditions inside tents or damaged buildings amid ongoing shortages of food, shelter and medical care.
The approval of the international force’s legal framework is being viewed as a limited but notable development in efforts to stabilize the territory, though significant questions remain over the scope, timing and long-term mandate of the mission. Further details on deployment schedules and the force’s operational mandate are expected to emerge in the coming weeks. This report is based on information from foreign news agencies and has not been independently verified beyond what has been officially stated.
