Morocco recently signed an agreement to participate in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza.
“The agreement reflects a shared determination to contribute through concrete humanitarian and security operations to the establishment of an environment of peace and security in the region,” Morocco’s state news agency MAP reported in July. According to the report, Morocco’s contribution includes military personnel, police and gendarmerie forces, and a field hospital.
Morocco is the first Arab country to join the planned international security mission for the Gaza Strip. Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania are also part of the force, while Jordan and Egypt have agreed only to support roles.
However, it remains to be seen whether the ISF can ever be deployed on the scale originally envisioned by its initiators.
The force, which is linked to a “peace board” established by US President Donald Trump, aims to do more than just ensure humanitarian aid: It is seen as a security cornerstone of the planned post-war order for Gaza.
No traditional UN peacekeeping mission
The International Stabilization Force is tasked with securing the reconstruction process, protecting humanitarian aid delivery, and training new Palestinian security forces. In the long term, the aim is to support political change.
However, unlike traditional UN peacekeeping missions, it will be conducted outside of normal UN command structures, even if the UN authorized the force. This structural difference makes the ISF one of the most ambitious and most challenging international projects for the Gaza Strip.
“The involvement of international actors requires at least a minimum level of political stability,” Gil Murcianothe executive director of the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies told DW. The real problem, he said, is not the mission itself, but the lack of political framework in which it needs to operate.
Markus Schneider, head of the regional project of the German political Friedrich Ebert Foundation for Peace and Security in the Middle East in Beirut, is also skeptical about the mission’s chances of success.
“Israel wants to secure military freedom of action, while potential troop contributing countries are primarily interested in conventional peacekeeping missions,” he told DW. “These different expectations largely cancel each other out,” he said.
This view is echoed by the International Peace Institute (IPI). According to a recent news AnalysisFirst, there is a need for a stable, legitimate Palestinian administration; Otherwise, the ISF risks becoming another international transitional project.
Israel, Hamas and Arab states still at odds over Gaza’s future
In particular, Israel, Hamas, and Arab states have different views on what role the ISF should play. From Israel’s perspective, security is the top priority.
“The Israeli government has made its position absolutely clear: Gaza reconstruction should not begin until Hamas agrees to disarm,” Marciano said. This links reconstruction to a political situation that has not yet been agreed upon.
In Schneider’s assessment, the actors involved are pursuing different political goals. While Israel seeks to preserve its military freedom of action, many potential troop-contributing countries expect a clearly defined mandate with manageable risks. However, it is difficult to meet these expectations at the moment.
The stance of Hamas – which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US and EU – further complicates the plan. Although the organization has indicated a willingness to withdraw from civilian administration of Gaza, it has so far refused to fully disarm.
From Israel’s perspective, this means that a key condition for the mission’s deployment has not been met; At the same time, many international actors argue that reconstruction and political stabilization should not wait until all security issues have been resolved.
Role of Arab states in Gaza
Arab states play a key role in Gaza’s future as they are considered the most important financial supporters of reconstruction. They could also give the mission the necessary regional legitimacy. However, many governments want to avoid sending troops and billions of aid to Gaza without a concrete political roadmap.
Morocco’s commitment is seen as an important sign, even if it does not change the fact that other major regional powers have been cautious so far.
The Arab Center Washington DC, a Washington-based think tank, sheds light on this dilemma. While many Arab states are, in principle, willing to support the reconstruction of Gaza, participation in an international stabilization mission will be possible for them only within the framework of a credible political process, a report It was said.
Reconstruction of Gaza as a prerequisite for security
Marciano predicts that the real challenge lies in resolving this impasse. “Reconstruction itself is an essential component of security,” he said. He said anyone who separates the two processes risks deepening the political impasse.
Whether the ISF will ever assume its intended role remains uncertain. Although planning is well advanced, the mission lacks the necessary political conditions for deployment.
This article was originally published in German.