The US State Department has reached out to more than 70 countries with formal requests for troops or financial support for an international security force intended to maintain order in Gaza. According to The Wall Street Journal, the effort has struggled to gain momentum despite initial interest from several nations.
The State Department contacted a range of countries on Monday, including European powers like France and Italy, as well as smaller nations such as El Salvador and Malta. The requests emphasized that Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, were already collaborating with the US to secure funding for the troop deployment.
A US official informed the WSJ that 19 of the 70 countries approached have indicated willingness to help, whether through providing troops, logistical support, or equipment. However, countries in talks to send troops have set a significant condition: they will only deploy within Israeli-controlled areas, behind what is known as the Yellow Line marking the boundary of roughly 53% of Gaza still under IDF control. The US reportedly remains dissatisfied with this limitation and continues to push for operations in the Hamas-controlled red zone of the enclave.
The International Stabilization Force
This diplomatic push represents the Trump administration’s latest attempt to recruit troops for the International Stabilization Force, or ISF, which is designed to assume security responsibility for Gaza from Hamas. The deployment of this force is a central component of the next phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
The first phase of the plan saw a fragile ceasefire begin on October 10, ending a two-year war. Under this initial phase, Hamas released hostages while Israel freed detained Palestinians. A UN Security Council resolution adopted on November 17 authorized a Board of Peace and partner countries to establish the ISF. Trump stated on Wednesday that an announcement identifying which world leaders will serve on the Board of Peace will come early next year.
Challenges to disarmament and deployment
A major unresolved question is how Hamas will be compelled to disarm and transfer control to the ISF, particularly given widespread opposition among potential contributing countries to deploying troops in areas controlled by the group. Hamas has stated that mediators—the US, Egypt, and Qatar—have not formally discussed disarmament with them, and the group maintains it will not disarm until a Palestinian state is established.
However, the WSJ reported that, contrary to its public statements, Hamas has quietly informed Egypt of its willingness to decommission heavy weapons under Cairo’s supervision.
Despite these complications, US officials told Reuters on Friday that international troops could be deployed in Gaza as early as next month. The officials, speaking anonymously, clarified that the ISF would not engage in combat with Hamas. They indicated that numerous countries have expressed interest, and US officials are currently determining the force’s size, composition, housing arrangements, training protocols, and rules of engagement.
Planning conference and leadership
The US Central Command will host a conference in Doha on December 16 with partner nations to plan the ISF. More than 25 countries are expected to send representatives to the conference, which will cover command structure and other operational matters related to the Gaza force. An American two-star general is under consideration to lead the ISF, though no final decisions have been made.
Deployment timeline appears uncertain
The goal of deploying the ISF in January is not new—The Times of Israel has reported for nearly two months that US officials have discussed this timeline. However, the target date appears increasingly unlikely. Even countries previously thought to be interested in contributing troops, such as Azerbaijan and Indonesia, have not formally announced decisions to participate, and both nations have indicated additional work is needed before reaching that point.
Indonesia has stated it is prepared to deploy up to 20,000 troops for health and construction-related tasks in Gaza. Rico Sirait, spokesperson for the Indonesian Defense Ministry, noted that the plan remains in the planning and preparation stages, with the ministry currently developing the organizational structure for forces to be deployed.
An Azerbaijani official told The Times of Israel last week that Baku lacks sufficient information about the ISF’s mandate to make a decision about joining the force.
According to US officials, the current plan calls for the ISF to deploy in areas held by Israel. Then, according to the Trump peace plan, as the ISF establishes control and stability, Israeli troops would gradually withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization.
