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Proposals for an international stabilisation force authorized by the United Nations to demilitarize the militant group in Gaza are facing increasing resistance after the United Arab Emirates stated it would not join due to the lack of a clear legal structure.

Growing Global Reservations

Israeli authorities have already excluded Turkey participation, and the Jordanian King Abdullah has declared that his country's troops will not participate. Azerbaijan, previously mooted as a potential contributor, did not attend a planning session in Istanbul and said it would not take part unless a full truce was established.

Emirati officials lacks clarity on a clear framework for the stability force and in this situation will not participate, but backs all diplomatic efforts towards peace – and stay at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Arab Doubts and Juridical Concerns

The UAE's announcement, made by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in Abu Dhabi, reflects regional doubts about the provisions of a American-proposed resolution already distributed to delegates at the UN in NYC. The draft places an onus on a US-directed security mission to be the primary means of imposing order in Gaza after Israeli forces have left the region.

Regional governments would prefer expanded duties to be given to a separate Palestinian law enforcement agency. Global jurisprudence would also prohibit external forces from entering occupied Palestine unless there was explicit Palestinian consent; without it, the mission could be seen as coercive under international statutes, and potentially reinforcing an illegal Israeli occupation.

Local Viewpoints and Appeals for Clarity

Jamal Nusseibeh of the ceasefire proposal said: “It is essential that the mission be deployed not to reinforce the unlawful presence, but to enforce global standards and end it. The force will work as long as it operates in the entire occupied territory, including the West Bank, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a clear objective to conclude the occupation within the context of a sovereign Palestinian state.”

The draft contains no mention to the occupied territories in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israel rejects.

Ongoing Discussions and Potential Dangers

Detailed negotiations on the mission authority, including its command and control, started officially on last week in the UN headquarters, and appear to be protracted – potentially creating the development of a vacuum in the strip that may strengthen Hamas.

The United States is suggesting that it command the mission although it will not have many troops involved on the ground. It has previously effectively taken control of the delivery of humanitarian aid into the territory from a new logistical hub based in the neighboring country.

Force Mandate and Administrative Role

The draft American document outlines the aim of the stabilisation force as “along with the recently prepared and screened law enforcement to assist in protecting frontier zones, secure the security environment in Gaza by guaranteeing the procedure of disarming the territory including the destruction and blocking of reconstructing the militant and hostile facilities as well as the lasting removal of arms from non-state armed groups”.

The mission, reporting to a “board of peace” led by the former US president, and not to the UN, would be mandated to use “any required actions” to achieve its objectives.

Regional powers including Qatari officials are also worried that this authority is overly broad, and if the group is to lay down arms, the group will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, probably in the local law enforcement, at a time that, from the Hamas perspective, marks the end of Israeli presence.

They also worry the proposed authority extends to granting the stabilisation force a governance function in Gaza, a responsibility that was to be set aside for a Palestinian technocratic committee working in cooperation with a restructured local government.

Humanitarian Considerations and Funding Issues

This “transitional governance administration” in the strip would stay until “the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its restructuring plan, the approval of which shall be acceptable to the BoP”, the proposal states. It also “emphasizes the significance” of full relief in the territory, including through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the humanitarian organizations.

However, it allows for the exclusion of “any group found to have misused such assistance”. The wording permits the board of peace barring the UN relief agency, the organization that the international court of justice has said is the legal provider of aid.

Global Diplomatic Efforts

French officials and Saudi representatives are already advocating for a mention to a Palestinian state to be added in the resolution. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the White House on the specified date, and Manal Radwan has said that a reference to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite.

The Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Monday to discuss the PA role.

Neither the UN nor the 15-member UNSC are assigned a oversight role over the mission, supervising the implementation of the proposal, a aspect largely ignored by the proposed document. No details is outlined about the funding of this security operation, which, according to the Americans, should be mostly borne by Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia taking the lead.

Israel's Requests and Regional Developments

Israel is seeking formal assurances from the United States that it be allowed to emulate the pattern of Lebanon and retain the authority to return to the territory if it considers disarmament is not taking place at a scale or pace it requires.

The request was put to the former US advisor, the ex-president's relative, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss progress on the ceasefire and the envoy was scheduled to arrive subsequently the same day.

Just the remains of four of the initial 251 Israeli hostages are still not recovered.

Independently, Israel has been proposing that the territory could yet be divided in two with rebuilding efforts beginning in the Israeli-controlled parts of the strip. International officials insist that this is not part of the Trump plan.