🔗 Share this article

Proposals for an international security mission authorized by the United Nations to disarm the militant group in Gaza are facing growing resistance after the UAE announced it would not take part due to the absence of a clear legal framework.

Growing International Reservations

Israel have previously ruled out Turkey involvement, and the Jordanian King Abdullah has stated that his country's troops will not participate. The Azerbaijani government, once mooted as a potential participant, did not attend a preparatory meeting in Istanbul and indicated it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was established.

The UAE does not yet see a clear structure for the stability mission and in this situation declines involvement, but will support all diplomatic efforts towards resolution – and stay at the forefront of relief efforts.

Arab Skepticism and Juridical Issues

The UAE's announcement, delivered by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in the UAE capital, highlights Arab reservations about the terms of a US-drafted resolution previously circulated to delegates at the UN in NYC. The draft assigns responsibility on a US-directed security mission to be the principal means of ensuring security in Gaza after Israel have withdrawn from the region.

Regional governments would like greater duties to be given to a separate local law enforcement agency. International law would also forbid foreign troops from entering contested Palestinian territories unless there was explicit local approval; otherwise, the mission could be viewed as imposed under UN law, and potentially stabilising an illegal Israeli occupation.

Local Perspectives and Appeals for Definition

Jamal Nusseibeh of the ceasefire proposal commented: “It is critical that the force be sent not to reinforce the illegal Israeli occupation, but to enforce international law and terminate it. The mission will succeed as long as it operates in the whole disputed land, including the West Bank, at the request of Palestine, and has a clear objective to conclude the presence within the context of a independent Palestinian state.”

The draft contains no mention to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israel rejects.

Ongoing Negotiations and Possible Dangers

In-depth talks on the stabilisation force authority, including its leadership structure, started formally on last week in the UN headquarters, and appear to be protracted – potentially creating the development of a power gap in Gaza that may strengthen militant factions.

The US is proposing that it lead the mission although it will not have a large number of personnel involved on the terrain. It has previously in effect taken control of the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza from a recently established logistical hub based in Israel.

Force Objectives and Administrative Role

The proposed US resolution defines the purpose of the stabilisation force as “along with the recently prepared and vetted police force to assist in protecting border areas, secure the security environment in the region by guaranteeing the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip including the elimination and blocking of rebuilding the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the lasting removal of arms from non-state armed groups”.

The force, answerable to a “board of peace” chaired by the former US president, and not to the UN, would be required to use “any required actions” to achieve its goals.

Regional powers including Qatari officials are also concerned that this authority is overly broad, and if Hamas is to disarm, the group will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the local law enforcement, at a time that, from the militant viewpoint, signifies the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also worry the draft mandate extends to granting the mission a governance role in the territory, a responsibility that was to be set aside for a Palestinian expert panel working in cooperation with a reformed local government.

Humanitarian Considerations and Funding Issues

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would remain until “the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its restructuring plan, the approval of which shall be approved to the BoP”, the draft states. It also “underscores the importance” of unhindered humanitarian aid in the territory, including through the UN, the ICRC, and the Red Crescent.

Nonetheless, it allows for the exclusion of “any group found to have improperly used such assistance”. The wording leaves open the board of peace barring the UN relief agency, the body that the global judicial body has ruled is the lawful provider of aid.

Global Diplomatic Initiatives

French officials and Saudi Arabia are already advocating for a reference to a Palestinian state to be included in the resolution. The Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman, is scheduled in the White House on the specified date, and Manal Radwan has said that a mention to a independent Palestine is a prerequisite.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on this week to review the PA role.

Neither the UN nor the 15 strong UNSC are assigned a supervisory role over the stabilisation force, monitoring the execution of the resolution, a point largely overlooked by the proposed document. Nothing is outlined about the funding of this stabilisation mission, which, according to the US officials, should be mostly covered by regional nations, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israeli Demands and Local Situations

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the United States that it be permitted to emulate the pattern of Lebanon and retain the authority to re-enter Gaza if it believes disarmament is not occurring at a level or pace it demands.

The request was put to Jared Kushner, the ex-president's son-in-law, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in the Israeli capital on this week to review progress on the truce and the envoy was scheduled to appear subsequently the that day.

Just the remains of four of the original hundreds of Israeli hostages are still not recovered.

Separately, Israeli officials has been proposing that the territory could still be split in two parts with reconstruction work beginning in the Israel occupied parts of the region. Western diplomats maintain that this is not part of the former US administration's proposal.