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Plans for an multinational stabilisation force authorized by the UN to demilitarize Hamas in the Gaza Strip are encountering growing opposition after the United Arab Emirates stated it will not take part due to the lack of a clear legal structure.

Growing Global Reservations

Israel have previously excluded Turkey participation, and Jordan's King Abdullah has stated that Jordanian troops will not participate. The Azerbaijani government, previously considered as a possible contributor, was absent from a preparatory meeting in Turkey and indicated it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was established.

Emirati officials lacks clarity on a defined structure for the stability force and under such circumstances declines involvement, but will support all political efforts towards peace – and remain at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Regional Skepticism and Legal Issues

The Emirati announcement, made by senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in the UAE capital, highlights regional reservations about the provisions of a US-drafted resolution previously distributed to delegates at the UN in New York. The proposal places an onus on a US-directed security mission to be the primary means of imposing security in the territory after Israeli forces have withdrawn from the region.

Regional governments would like greater responsibilities to be given to a separate Palestinian law enforcement agency. International law would also forbid foreign troops from entering occupied Palestinian territories unless there was clear local approval; otherwise, the mission could be seen as imposed under international statutes, and potentially reinforcing an unlawful Israeli occupation.

Local Perspectives and Appeals for Clarity

A Palestinian American co-author of the ceasefire proposal commented: “It is critical that the mission be deployed not to reinforce the unlawful presence, but to enforce international law and terminate it. The mission will succeed as long as it operates in the whole disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the request of Palestine, and has a clear goal to conclude the occupation within the context of a sovereign Palestinian state.”

There is no mention to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a two-state solution, a prospect that Israel opposes.

Continuing Negotiations and Potential Dangers

Detailed negotiations on the stabilisation force mandate, including its command and control, began officially on Thursday in the UN headquarters, and appear to be lengthy – potentially creating the development of a vacuum in Gaza that may strengthen Hamas.

The US is proposing that it command the mission although it will not have many personnel deployed on the ground. It has already in effect taken control of the distribution of humanitarian aid into Gaza from a recently established civil military coordination centre based in Israel.

Force Mandate and Administrative Function

The draft US resolution defines the purpose of the stabilisation force as “along with the recently prepared and vetted law enforcement to help secure frontier zones, stabilise the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarising the territory including the destruction and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and offensive infrastructure as well as the permanent removal of weapons from non-state armed groups”.

The force, reporting to a “peace council” led by Donald Trump, and not to the UN, would be required to use “any required actions” to achieve its objectives.

Arab states including Qatar are also concerned that this authority is overly broad, and if the group is to lay down arms, the group will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the militant viewpoint, signifies the conclusion of occupation.

They also worry the proposed authority spills into giving the mission a governance function in the territory, a responsibility that was to be set aside for a Palestinian expert panel working in cooperation with a restructured local government.

Humanitarian Considerations and Funding Issues

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would stay until “the local government has adequately completed its reform program, the approval of which shall be approved to the board of peace”, the proposal states. It also “underscores the significance” of unhindered relief in Gaza, including through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the humanitarian organizations.

However, it opens the door the removal of “any organisation found to have improperly used such assistance”. The phrase leaves open the council excluding the UN relief agency, the organization that the global judicial body has said is the lawful provider of aid.

Global Political Initiatives

French officials and Saudi representatives are already pressing for a reference to a Palestinian state to be included in the document. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the US presidential residence on 18 November, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has said that a mention to a Palestinian state is a requirement.

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

Not the United Nations nor the 15 strong UNSC are given a oversight 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 largely covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israeli Demands and Local Developments

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the United States that it be allowed to follow the pattern of the Lebanese situation and reserve the right to return to Gaza if it considers demilitarization is not taking place at a level or pace it demands.

The Israeli proposal was presented to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s relative, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in the Israeli capital on Monday to discuss progress on the ceasefire and the envoy was scheduled to arrive later the same day.

Just the remains of a small number of the original hundreds of captives remain not recovered.

Independently, Israeli officials has been suggesting that the Gaza Strip could still be split in two with reconstruction work beginning in the Israel occupied areas of the strip. International officials maintain that this is no part of the Trump plan.