| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| Israel approves limited ISF deployment in Gaza | |
| 2026-07-28 | |
Wear a vest and a cup, and may God keep you Text: ISRAEL APPROVES LIMITED ISF DEPLOYMENT IN GAZA Israel’s cabinet approved legal immunity for the International Stabilization Force (ISF), paving the way for roughly 200 personnel from friendly countries, including Uganda and Morocco, to deploy beyond the Yellow Line. The IDF will retain control of the Yellow Line until Hamas is fully disarmed
The cabinet also decided that Israel will determine which countries are permitted to contribute personnel to the force, the official continued, saying “only countries with which Israel has a peace agreement, and which are not acting against the State of Israel or its officials in international forums, will be eligible.” That condition would seem to preclude Indonesia, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, and had initially vowed to contribute some 8,000 troops to the force, though it backed away in recent months due to domestic backlash and doubt regarding the Gaza plan’s progress. It would also apparently rule out troops from Turkey, which has been among the harshest critics of Israel’s war against Hamas, launched after the October 7, 2023, massacre, and which has hosted Hamas leaders. “At this stage, the force is expected to consist of approximately 200 personnel from friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco,” the official said. While three other countries — Albania, Kazakhstan and Kosovo — have also agreed to contribute troops to the ISF — Morocco is slated to be the first of them to actually deploy troops in Gaza, officials familiar with the Board of Peace’s plans have told The Times of Israel. The Board of Peace has been promoting the plan for several months. It envisions the establishment of a pilot humanitarian zone in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, from which Israeli troops would withdraw and be replaced by personnel from ISF. The arrangement would allow an initial group of vetted Gazans to relocate from Hamas-controlled territory. Hamas has so far refused to disarm as envisioned under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point framework for Gaza, and the Board has been struggling to get Israeli approval on certain key components of the plan. “I welcome steps by Israel that enable the deployment of the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803,” said Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov on X. “It is a critical part of the agreed framework for stabilizing Gaza, supporting demilitarization, and enabling the transition to effective Palestinian transitional administration under the NCAG.” “The focus now is on ensuring that we move forward with the 20-point Plan for Gaza, including the implementation of the Roadmap as presented by the mediators,” he wrote. While not mentioning the cabinet vote, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) said on Sunday it had “completed the necessary institutional and operational preparations to assume its mandate in the Gaza Strip under the Comprehensive Peace Plan, once the Board of Peace and Security Council authorizes deployment, Israeli forces have withdrawn, and the agreed implementation arrangements are in place.” Related: International Stabilization Force: 2026-07-27 Israeli security cabinet okays limited International Stabilization Force entry into Gaza for pilot International Stabilization Force: 2026-07-16 Israel's latest strikes said to kill 12 in Gaza, including Hamas police officers International Stabilization Force: 2026-07-13 Delegation of Kosovo soldiers arrive in Israel to join fledgling international Gaza force | |
| Posted by:badanov |