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Plans for an multinational stabilisation force mandated by the United Nations to disarm the militant group in Gaza are facing increasing opposition after the United Arab Emirates stated it would not join due to the absence of a clear legal framework.

Growing International Concerns

Israel have already ruled out Turkey involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has declared that Jordanian forces will not participate. The Azerbaijani government, previously considered as a possible contributor, did not attend a preparatory meeting in Turkey and indicated it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was established.

Emirati officials does not yet see a clear structure for the stability mission and in this situation declines involvement, but backs all political efforts towards resolution – and stay at the forefront of relief efforts.

Arab Skepticism and Juridical Concerns

The Emirati announcement, delivered by senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, highlights regional reservations about the terms of a US-drafted resolution previously circulated to delegates at the UN in NYC. The proposal assigns responsibility on a US-directed security mission to be the primary means of ensuring order in the territory after Israel have left the territory.

Regional governments would like expanded responsibilities to be assigned to a separate local law enforcement agency. Global jurisprudence would also forbid external forces from deploying into occupied Palestine unless there was explicit local approval; without it, the force could be seen as imposed under international statutes, and arguably stabilising an illegal Israeli occupation.

Palestinian Viewpoints and Appeals for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan said: “It is critical that the force be sent not to reinforce the unlawful presence, but to uphold global standards and end it. The mission will succeed as long as it enters the entire disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the invitation of the Palestinian authorities, and has a defined goal to end the occupation within the context of a independent state of Palestine.”

The draft contains no reference to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a peaceful resolution, a outcome that Israeli leadership rejects.

Ongoing Negotiations and Possible Dangers

In-depth negotiations on the stabilisation force authority, including its command and control, began officially on last week in New York, and appear to be protracted – risking the emergence of a vacuum in Gaza that may empower militant factions.

The US is proposing that it command the force although it will not have many troops deployed on the terrain. It has previously in effect assumed command of the distribution of relief supplies into the territory from a new logistical hub based in Israel.

Mission Mandate and Administrative Role

The proposed American document outlines the aim of the security mission as “along with the recently prepared and screened police force to help secure frontier zones, secure the security environment in Gaza by guaranteeing the process of demilitarising the territory including the elimination and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from militant factions”.

The mission, reporting to a “board of peace” led by the former US president, and not to the United Nations, would be required to use “all necessary measures” to fulfill its objectives.

Arab states including Qatar are also worried that this authority is too expansive, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the group will only do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the local law enforcement, at a time that, from the Hamas perspective, signifies the end of Israeli presence.

They also worry the draft mandate extends to giving the stabilisation force a governance function in Gaza, a task that was to be reserved for a Palestinian expert panel working in conjunction with a reformed local government.

Aid Aspects and Financial Issues

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would stay until “the local government has adequately completed its reform program, the satisfaction of which shall be approved to the board of peace”, the proposal says. It also “emphasizes the importance” of full relief in the territory, including through the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent.

Nonetheless, it opens the door the exclusion of “any organisation found to have misused such assistance”. The wording permits the council barring Unrwa, the body that the international court of justice has said is the lawful distributor of assistance.

Global Diplomatic Efforts

France and Saudi representatives are currently advocating for a reference to a sovereign Palestine to be added in the document. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is scheduled in the White House on 18 November, and Manal Radwan has stated that a reference to a independent Palestine is a requirement.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in the French capital on this week to review the authority's function.

Not the UN nor the 15-member security council are assigned a supervisory function over the stabilisation force, monitoring the implementation of the proposal, a point largely overlooked by the draft text. Nothing is specified about the financing of this security operation, which, according to the Americans, should be mostly covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israeli Requests and Regional Developments

Israel is seeking formal assurances from the United States that it be permitted to follow the pattern of the Lebanese situation and reserve the right to re-enter the territory if it considers demilitarization is not occurring at a level or pace it demands.

The Israeli proposal was presented to the former US advisor, the ex-president's relative, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in Jerusalem on this week to review developments on the truce and Witkoff was due to arrive later the that day.

Just the remains of four of the initial 251 captives remain not recovered.

Independently, Israeli officials has been proposing that the Gaza Strip could still be split in two parts with rebuilding efforts beginning in the Israel occupied parts of the strip. International officials insist that this is not part of the Trump plan.