US Proposes International Gaza Force to UN as Turkey Pushes for Role Amid Concerns Over Hamas Support

The United States has proposed a draft resolution for an international force in Gaza as Turkey seeks a role in post-war reconstruction, raising concerns that Ankara’s growing influence in the enclave could strengthen Hamas.

On Monday, Washington sent a draft resolution to members of the United Nations Security Council, proposing the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza that would remain for at least two years, according to several media reports.

Under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, such a force will oversee the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and train local security forces.

Based on the proposed draft resolution, participating countries in the international force would be granted a broad mandate to maintain security and administer the war-torn enclave through the end of 2027, with the possibility of extending the mission. Troop deployments are expected to begin as early as January.

In recent weeks, Washington has been working closely with regional powers to determine the composition of the peacekeeping force, with Turkey seeking to play a central role in the enclave.

However, Israel has repeatedly opposed any involvement of Turkish security forces in post-war Gaza.

Experts have warned that Turkey, a key backer of Hamas, could shield the Islamist group in Gaza or even strengthen its terrorist infrastructure as it seeks a central role in post-war efforts.

According to the draft resolution, the ISF would include troops from multiple participating countries and would be responsible for securing Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt, while also protecting civilians and maintaining humanitarian corridors.

The ISF would also “stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the [enclave], including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,” the draft states. 

Under this plan, the international force would seemingly take on the responsibility of disarming Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that violently seized total control of Gaza in 2007 after being elected to power in parliamentary elections the prior year.

As Turkey aims to secure a role in post-war Gaza, the country has been leading efforts, along with six other regional powers, to establish a Palestinian-led self-rule in the enclave after the war.

This week, the foreign ministers of the so-called “guarantor countries” under Trump’s peace plan — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia — met in Istanbul to discuss Gaza’s future and potential steps following the ceasefire.

At the summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Muslim nations to wield their influence in shaping Gaza’s reconstruction and future governance.

“Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security,” Fidan said during a press conference. “The international community should support this in the best possible way — diplomatically, institutionally, and economically.”

“Nobody wants to see a new system of tutelage emerge,” the top Turkish diplomat continued. “We’ve now reached an extremely critical stage: We do not want the genocide in Gaza to resume.”

On Saturday, Fidan met with Hamas senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya and several key members of the group’s political leadership to discuss the current ceasefire and ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Shortly after the meeting, the Turkish diplomat asserted that the Palestinian terrorist group was “ready to hand over Gaza to a committee of Palestinians.”

Hamas has consistently rejected disarmament, insisting on keeping its weapons and controlling security in Gaza during an interim period.

Under phase one of Trump’s ceasefire plan, the Israeli military controls 53 percent of Gaza’s territory. Hamas, meanwhile, controls the other 47 percent, where the vast majority of the Gazan population is located.

Since the ceasefire went into effect, Hamas terrorists have brutally cracked down on all rivals and dissenters, with videos emerging of rampant torture and public executions in the streets. The Algemeiner reported last week that four Israel-backed militias fighting Hamas are moving to fill the power vacuum, pledging to cooperate with most international forces involved in rebuilding the enclave but vowing to resist any presence from Qatar, Turkey, or Iran — all three of which have supported Hamas for years.

At the Istanbul summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has maintained an openly hostile stance toward the Jewish state, reiterated that Hamas was “determined to adhere to the [ceasefire] agreement” and called on Muslim states to play “a leading role” in Gaza’s recovery.

According to Trump’s peace plan, Gaza would be governed by a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” after the war, with the supervision of an international body called the “Board of Peace.”

Under the proposed framework, the ISF is designed to maintain security in Gaza during this transition period, as Israel gradually withdraws from additional areas of the enclave.

While the plan specifies that Hamas would be excluded from post-war governance, the Palestinian Authority (PA) could potentially take control of Gaza after undergoing internal reforms.

The PA, which has long been riddled with accusations of corruption, has maintained for years a so-called “pay-for-slay” program, which rewards terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks against Israelis.

Israel has rejected any role for Hamas or the PA in governing Gaza after the war.