Tel Aviv has officially given the green light for the entry of International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip, world agencies reported, citing Israeli government officials.
The historic decision by the Israeli security cabinet was made on July 26, just hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned departure for Washington, where a key meeting with US President Donald Trump is scheduled for tomorrow. The approved legal framework stipulates that foreign units will operate outside areas of direct Israeli military control and in full coordination with the Israeli army.
What does the new peace plan for Gaza provide?
The new security mission is a direct part of Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, aimed at ending the two-year-long large-scale conflict that began on October 7, 2023. According to official information cited in a detailed Reuters article (reuters.com), the initial pilot contingent will consist of about 200 soldiers from "friendly countries" such as Morocco and Uganda. The number is expected to increase later, with Morocco prepared to send up to 500 soldiers. Each separate contingent will require individual approval from Tel Aviv to enter the enclave.
Sources of the influential Israeli publication The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com) reveal that the cabinet's approval also allows the activation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) - the technocratic Palestinian government envisaged in the plan, which has so far remained outside the sector. The plan also includes:
- Establishment of a Peace Council as a supreme international body, headed by Special Envoy Nikolay Mladenov (former Foreign Minister of Bulgaria).
- Launch of a pilot humanitarian zone in the Rafah city area, where construction of temporary housing for tens of thousands of Palestinians will begin.
- Disarming „Hamas“ in stages, which remains the biggest obstacle to the actual implementation of the agreements.
Political repercussions and challenges on the ground
Israel's decision was welcomed by the international community, but the situation on the ground remains critical. A report by Al Jazeera (aljazeera.com) states that currently Israel controls about 64% of Gaza (with plans to expand security to 70%), while nearly two million Palestinians are concentrated in the Narrow Strip in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions.
Former Bulgarian diplomat and current Peace Council representative Nikolay Mladenov commented on the social network X (x.com/nmladenov) that the Israeli move is "a critical part of the agreed framework to stabilize Gaza, support demilitarization, and ensure the transition to an effective Palestinian administration". For its part, the Islamist movement “Hamas“ categorically refuses to lay down its arms, accusing Israel of continuing daily strikes and violating its commitments to gradually withdraw its army beyond the Gaza fence.