On Friday, October 24th, during his visit to Israel, US Secretary of State Pompeo discussed proposals for establishing an international force to stabilize Gaza, disarming Hamas, and the future governance of Gaza. He stated that the international security force deployed in Gaza must come from countries that make Israel “feel reassured”.
According to President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, the US will be responsible for organizing an international force. This force will be deployed to Gaza to maintain stability. The soldiers of the international force will come from various countries, but US soldiers will not participate.
Secretary of State Pompeo held a press conference at the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Friday. When asked if Turkish soldiers would be included in the upcoming international force, Pompeo replied, “We have not yet formed this force, so relevant work is still in progress.”
He emphasized that when forming this force, one factor to consider is that the soldiers of the international force need to come from countries that make Israel “feel reassured”. Pompeo mentioned that many countries have expressed interest in participating, but he did not disclose which countries they are.
“I do not want to discuss who is being vetoed or not allowed. Obviously, each participating country in this force must have the capability and willingness, while also reassuring everyone, including Israel,” Pompeo said.
Relations between Israel and Turkey have already soured during times of conflict. Previously, reports stated that Israel informed the US that the presence of Turkish troops in Gaza would be a red line for Israel.
According to Reuters, the US military has initiated a complex mission at the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel: monitoring the ceasefire situation in Gaza and planning the deployment of an international force to help stabilize the situation there.
The Civil-Military Coordination Center also hosts military personnel from Israel, the UK, and Canada.
Former Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Itamar Rabinovich, stated that establishing an international force is crucial to preventing ongoing conflicts. He added that it is feasible but will be very difficult.
When asked whether the Palestinian Authority would participate in governing Gaza after the war, Pompeo stated, “We have expressed concerns about the current situation of the Palestinian Authority and the necessity for reform.”
He further explained that the future governance plan for Gaza needs to be jointly agreed upon by Israel and its partner countries, saying, “For it to work, everyone must agree.” The role, if any, that the Palestinian Authority will play in future Gaza governance remains to be determined.
The Israeli government has consistently opposed the idea of the Palestinian Authority participating in post-war governance in Gaza.
Pompeo also emphasized that Hamas cannot be involved in the future governance of Gaza. All countries currently cooperating with the US on the Gaza peace plan agree on this point.
“There is a consensus that Hamas cannot govern Gaza or participate in its future governance. Everyone agrees on this,” he said.
A major challenge is that Hamas has not yet committed to disarming. When asked about the deployment of the international force to Gaza, a Hamas spokesperson stated that it is a “sensitive issue” and requires “thorough discussion” before the organization declares a stance.
Pompeo stated on Friday that if Hamas refuses to disarm, it would violate the agreement.
“This is an agreement, and agreements require certain conditions to be met. Israel has fulfilled its commitments. They are standing on the yellow line (referring to the agreement for Israel to withdraw its troops stationed in Gaza to an agreed-upon yellow line),” Pompeo said.
He also pointed out that according to the Gaza agreement’s second phase, Hamas must disarm, and Gaza needs to achieve demilitarization.
“We hope to create conditions where the people of Gaza are no longer subject to Hamas’ intimidation and have a life, work, do business, and a better future,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo reiterated the US’s opposition to Israel annexing the West Bank. He mentioned that the recently proposed vote in the Israeli parliament to advance annexation legislation could threaten the US’s plans to end the conflict with Hamas. He also expressed his expectation that the bills would not pass.
“In short, we believe this will not happen,” Pompeo said. He echoed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comments, referring to this vote as the opposition’s “provocation”.
(This article draws on reports from The Times of Israel.)