The Palestinian movement Hamas has signaled openness to international peacekeeping forces in Gaza, while doubling down on its rejection of outside interference in the Strip’s internal affairs.
Hamas’ statements followed the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, where several countries committed money and personnel for the enclave’s reconstruction and security.
Gaza Peacekeepers
On Friday, the Palestinian group’s spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that Hamas was willing to accept international peacekeeping forces in Gaza, but rejected any foreign interference in the territory’s internal governance.
“Our position on international forces is clear. We want peacekeeping forces that monitor the ceasefire, ensure its implementation, and act as a buffer between the occupation army and our people in the Gaza Strip, without interfering in Gaza’s internal affairs,” Qassem told AFP.
Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan, endorsed by the UN in November, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be formed and deployed during the second phase of the plan.
This force will work with Israel, Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to gradually replace Israeli troops, help maintain security and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
ISF Troops
The ISF Commander, Major General Jasper Jeffers III, unveiled plans to deploy 20,000 soldiers in five different sectors of Gaza, beginning with Rafah. This will be followed by a new police force, comprising 12,000 personnel, with Egypt and Jordan committing to training officers in the future, according to the Guardian.
Indonesia was the first country to commit troops to the ISF, announcing readiness to contribute 8,000 troops “or more if necessary,” President Prabowo Subianto said.
In addition to Indonesia, Jeffers revealed that Albania, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Morocco will contribute thousands of personnel to the ISF in Gaza.
Furthermore, the High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, announced that the recruitment process for a post-Hamas police force in Gaza has begun.
In light of this, Hamas spokesperson said: “Training Palestinian police forces within their national framework is not a problem if it is aimed at maintaining internal security in the Strip and confronting the chaos that the occupation and its militias seek to create.”
Gaza’s Future
During the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting on Thursday, several countries pledged money for the reconstruction of Gaza. The US committed $10 billion, while Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Qatar, and the UAE pledged $7 billion collectively.
Moreover, the UN would contribute $2 billion for humanitarian assistance and FIFA $75 million soccer-related projects in Gaza.
In response, Hamas said that any discussions on the future of Gaza are conditional on a complete halt to Israeli aggression.
“Any political process or any arrangement under discussion concerning Gaza and the future of our Palestinian people must start with the total halt of aggression, the lifting of the blockade, and the guarantee of our people’s legitimate national rights, first and foremost their right to freedom and self-determination,” the group said in a statement on Thursday.
Hamas has maintained its opposition to any foreign mandate over Gaza’s internal governance. Two weeks ago, the group’s political leader, Khaled Meshaal, warned that Hamas would not accept foreign rule over Gaza.
“We adhere to our national principles and reject the logic of guardianship, external intervention, or the return of a mandate in any form,” he said.
The Disarmament Dilemma
A primary challenge facing the Board of Peace is the disarmament of Hamas. Israel insists on the group’s disarmament as a key demand before the beginning of reconstruction efforts.
“We agreed with our ally the US that there will be no reconstruction of Gaza before the demilitarization of Gaza,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Conversely, Hamas has rejected laying down its arms, conditioning any disarmament on an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
