The US President, Donald Trump, said that the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza is “running,” suggesting that more countries would join.
Moreover, Trump noted that his administration was investigating to determine whether Israel violated the ceasefire agreement by assassinating a senior Hamas leader over the weekend.
ISF in Gaza
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, the US President said that the ISF is already running in Gaza, expecting more countries to join the force.
“I think that, in a form, it’s already running. More and more countries are coming into it. They’re already in but they’ll send any number of troops that I ask them to send,” Trump said.
Under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, endorsed by the UN in November, the ISF will be formed and deployed in the plan’s second phase. This force will work with Israel, Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help maintain security and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Violations
Trump also noted that the US administration was examining whether Israel’s assassination of senior Hamas commander in Gaza was a breach of the ceasefire agreement, signed on October 10, 2025.
“We’re going to have to see. We’re looking into that,” Trump said when asked about the strike that killed a Hamas leader.
On Saturday, an Israeli attack in Gaza City killed the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing, Raed Saad, who was also one of the architects of October 7 attack.
Hamas Chief in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, on Sunday strongly condemned Israel’s repeated violations, including Saad’s assassination, warning that they jeopardize the ceasefire agreement.
He also urged the US and mediators to press the Israeli government to respect the ceasefire deal.
Alleged US-Israeli Dispute
Trump denied reports of a dispute with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, following the assassination of Saad, emphasizing that the US and Israel have had a “very good relationship.”
Earlier, Axios reported, citing two American officials, that the White House sent an angry message to Netanyahu telling him that Saad’s assassination constituted a violation of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement.
“The White House message to Netanyahu was: ‘If you want to ruin your reputation and show that you don’t abide by agreements be our guest, but we won’t allow you to ruin President Trump’s reputation after he brokered the deal in Gaza,” a US official said.
Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet on December 29 in Florida.
Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
The US is pushing to advance the second phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which includes the deployment of the ISF and the formation of the “Board of Peace.” Trump said that the ISF deployment is expected in early 2026, as well as the announcement of the board’s members.
The Trump administration is considering an American two-star general to lead the force. However, there are concerns over the ISF mandate in Gaza and the possibility of the force engaging in fighting with Hamas.
The US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said that the UNSC resolution authorized the ISF to demilitarize Gaza by all means necessary – which means use of force.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (US CENTCOM) will host a conference in Doha on December 16 to work out the final details of the ISF, including its size, composition, training, housing, and rules of engagement.
Hamas’ Position
Hamas has stressed its right armed resistance, rejecting to give up its weapons until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories and an independent Palestinian State is established.
Moreover, Hamas’ al-Hayya categorically rejected “all forms of guardianship or mandate over the Gaza Strip or any inch of our occupied land,” saying that the ISF should be limited to “maintaining the ceasefire and separating the parties along the Gaza Strip’s border.”
However, he called for moving forward with the next phase of the agreement, expressing Hamas’ readiness to cooperate with the apolitical technocratic Palestinian committee that would administer the Strip on a civilian level by handing over full responsibilities in all sectors to facilitate its work.
