Israel has approved the legal framework for the deployment of a multinational security force in parts of the Gaza Strip outside its control, marking a significant step towards implementing a key element of U.S. President Donald Trump's stalled ceasefire proposal.
An Israeli official said on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet had authorised the arrangements needed for the force to enter Gaza. The decision comes as Netanyahu prepares to travel to Washington, where he is expected to meet Trump on Tuesday.
The proposed International Stabilisation Force would consist of around 200 personnel drawn from countries including Uganda and Morocco. According to the official, the force would operate only in areas not controlled by Israeli troops, with each participating country's deployment requiring Israeli approval.
No timeline has been announced for when the mission could begin.
The force was originally envisaged as part of Trump's Gaza peace initiative unveiled after the October 2025 ceasefire. The plan called for increased humanitarian assistance, governance by a Palestinian technocratic administration, Hamas' disarmament and a gradual Israeli military withdrawal.
Little progress has been made on those proposals. The technocratic body intended to administer Gaza has yet to take up its role, while disagreements over security arrangements and Hamas' future have stalled broader implementation of the plan.
Israel currently controls about 64 per cent of the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli official, while the remaining population of nearly two million people is concentrated in a narrow coastal area where Hamas continues to exercise authority. Humanitarian conditions remain severe after nearly three years of conflict.
The war began after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, prompting a large-scale Israeli military campaign that has devastated much of the enclave. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, and much of the territory's infrastructure has been destroyed.
Israeli officials have repeatedly said military operations will continue until Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force. Hamas has rejected calls to disarm, and Israel has said it plans to expand its control over roughly 70 per cent of Gaza as operations continue.
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