WASHINGTON: The US Central Command will host a conference in Doha on Dec.16 with partner nations to plan the International Stabilization Force for Gaza, two US 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 Gaza force, the officials said.
International troops could be deployed in the Gaza Strip as early as next month to form the stabilization force, the officials said.
They said many countries had expressed interest in contributing, and US officials are currently determining the size of the ISF, its composition, housing, training, and rules of engagement.
BACKGROUND
Indonesia has said it is prepared to deploy up to 20,000 troops to take on health and constructionrelated tasks in Gaza.
“There is a lot of quiet planning that’s going on behind the scenes right now for phase two of the peace deal,” said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
“We want to ensure an enduring and lasting peace.”
Indonesia has said it is prepared to deploy up to 20,000 troops to take on health and construction-related tasks in Gaza.
“It is still in the planning and preparation stages,” said Rico Sirait, spokesperson of the Indonesian Defense Ministry.
“We are now preparing the organizational structure of the forces to be deployed.”
Israel still controls 53 percent of Gaza, while nearly all the 2 million people in the enclave live in the remaining Hamas-held area. The plan — which needs to be finalized by the so-called Board of Peace — is for the ISF to deploy in the area held by Israel, the US officials said.
Then, according to the Trump peace plan, as the ISF establishes control and stability, Israeli troops will gradually withdraw “based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization.”
