UN Spokesperson on UN Role in International Gaza Force

United Nations

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

New York City, New York- As discussions continue around the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza outlined in former President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric clarified that the United Nations is “not actively involved in those discussions,” while noting that any such force would “have more credibility if it is backed by a UN resolution.”

In an exclusive interview with BBC Panorama, Jordan’s King Abdullah II remarked, “What is the mandate of security forces inside Gaza? We hope that it is peacekeeping, because if it’s peace-enforcing, nobody will want to touch that.” His comments underscore a central point of contention: who will participate in, and how exactly the ISF would function inside Gaza.

While several Arab states have called for the force to be established under Chapters VI and VII of the UN Charter—making it an official UN-mandated mission—Israel strongly opposes the idea. Citing concerns over precedent and sovereignty in the Israeli-Palestinian arena, Israeli officials and media outlets report broad political resistance within the Knesset. Speaking on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “We are in control of our security, and we have also made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will continue to operate.”

Just one day later, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected the possibility of Turkish participation, telling reporters in Hungary that Israel opposes Turkish involvement due to President Erdoğan’s hostility toward the Israeli government.

With U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming last Friday that “a lot of countries” have offered to take part in a Gaza security mission, Dujarric reiterated today that, “There have also been discussions very openly reported in the press about a potential UN resolution to back such a force. Obviously, that will be a decision taken by Member States.”