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Proposals for an international security mission mandated by the UN to demilitarize the militant group in Gaza are facing increasing resistance after the UAE announced it would not join due to the lack of a clear legal structure.

Increasing International Concerns

Israeli authorities have already excluded Turkish involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has declared that Jordanian forces will not join. The Azerbaijani government, once considered as a possible participant, did not attend a preparatory session in Istanbul and said it would not take part unless a complete truce was in place.

The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force and under such circumstances will not participate, but backs all political efforts towards peace – and remain at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Arab Doubts and Juridical Concerns

The UAE's announcement, made by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in Abu Dhabi, highlights regional reservations about the terms of a US-drafted document previously circulated to diplomats at the UN in NYC. The draft places an onus on a US-directed stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring security in Gaza after Israel have left the territory.

Regional governments would like expanded responsibilities to be given to a separate local law enforcement agency. Global jurisprudence would also forbid external forces from entering occupied Palestine unless there was clear Palestinian consent; without it, the mission could be seen as imposed under international statutes, and potentially reinforcing an illegal Israeli occupation.

Palestinian Perspectives and Appeals for Definition

Jamal Nusseibeh of the Palestinian armistice plan commented: “It is essential that the mission be deployed not to reinforce the unlawful presence, but to uphold international law and end it. The force will succeed as long as it operates in the entire occupied territory, including the West Bank, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a clear goal to conclude the presence within the context of a independent state of Palestine.”

There is no reference to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a outcome that Israeli leadership rejects.

Ongoing Negotiations and Potential Dangers

In-depth negotiations on the stabilisation force authority, including its leadership structure, began formally on last week in New York, and appear to be protracted – risking the emergence of a vacuum in the strip that may strengthen Hamas.

The US is proposing that it command the force although it will not have many troops involved on the ground. It has already effectively assumed command of the delivery of relief supplies into the territory from a recently established logistical hub based in Israel.

Force Objectives and Administrative Function

The draft US resolution defines the aim of the security mission as “together with the newly trained and screened law enforcement to help secure frontier zones, stabilise the security environment in the region by ensuring the procedure of disarming the Gaza Strip including the elimination and blocking of rebuilding the militant and hostile facilities as well as the lasting removal of arms from non-state armed groups”.

The force, reporting to a “peace council” led by Donald Trump, and not to the United Nations, would be required to use “all necessary measures” to achieve its objectives.

Arab states including Qatar are also worried that this mandate is overly broad, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the faction will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the militant perspective, marks the end of occupation.

They also fear the proposed authority extends to granting the mission a administrative role in the territory, a responsibility that was to be reserved for a Palestinian technocratic committee working in conjunction with a restructured local government.

Aid Aspects and Financial Questions

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would remain until “the local government has satisfactorily finished its reform program, the approval of which shall be approved to the board of peace”, the draft says. It also “underscores the significance” of full humanitarian aid in the territory, including through the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the humanitarian organizations.

Nonetheless, it opens the door the exclusion of “any group determined to have improperly used such aid”. The wording permits the board of peace barring Unrwa, the body that the international court of justice has ruled is the lawful provider of aid.

Global Political Initiatives

France and Saudi representatives are already advocating for a reference to a Palestinian state to be added in the resolution. The Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman, is scheduled in the US presidential residence on the specified date, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has stated that a reference to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, in the French capital on this week to discuss the PA role.

Neither the UN nor the 15-member security council are assigned a oversight role over the mission, monitoring the execution of the resolution, a point mostly ignored by the proposed document. Nothing is outlined about the funding of this security operation, which, according to the Americans, should be largely covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom taking the lead.

Israeli Requests and Regional Situations

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the United States that it be permitted to emulate the model of the Lebanese situation and reserve the authority to re-enter Gaza if it believes demilitarization is not occurring at a scale or speed it requires.

The request was put to the former US advisor, Donald Trump’s relative, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in Jerusalem on this week to discuss progress on the truce and the envoy was due to arrive later the that day.

Just the remains of a small number of the original 251 captives are still not recovered.

Independently, Israeli officials has been proposing that the territory could yet be divided in two parts with rebuilding efforts starting in the Israeli-controlled areas of the region. International officials insist that this is no part of the Trump plan.