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Proposals for an international security mission mandated by the United Nations to disarm the militant group in Gaza are facing increasing opposition after the UAE stated it would not take part due to the absence of a clear legal framework.

Growing Global Concerns

Israel have already excluded Turkish involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has declared that his country's troops will not join. The Azerbaijani government, previously mooted as a possible participant, did not attend a preparatory session in Istanbul and said it would not take part unless a complete ceasefire was in place.

The UAE lacks clarity on a defined framework for the stabilisation mission and under such circumstances declines involvement, but backs all diplomatic efforts towards resolution – and remain at the forefront of humanitarian aid.

Arab Skepticism and Legal Issues

The Emirati decision, made by senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in Abu Dhabi, highlights regional reservations about the terms of a American-proposed resolution previously distributed to delegates at the UN in New York. The draft assigns responsibility on a American-led stabilisation force to be the primary means of imposing security in Gaza after Israel have withdrawn from the region.

Regional governments would like greater responsibilities to be assigned to a separate local civilian police force. International law would also forbid foreign troops from deploying into occupied Palestinian territories unless there was clear local approval; without it, the mission could be viewed as coercive under UN law, and potentially stabilising an unlawful presence.

Palestinian Perspectives and Calls for Clarity

A Palestinian American co-author of the ceasefire proposal commented: “It is essential that the force be deployed not to stabilise the illegal presence, but to enforce international law and terminate it. The mission will work as long as it operates in the entire disputed land, including the West Bank, at the request of the Palestinian authorities, and has a clear goal to conclude the occupation within the framework of a sovereign state of Palestine.”

There is no mention to the occupied territories in the American proposal, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a outcome that Israeli leadership opposes.

Continuing Discussions and Potential Risks

Detailed talks on the stabilisation force mandate, including its leadership structure, began formally on Thursday in New York, and look likely to be protracted – risking the development of a vacuum in Gaza that may strengthen Hamas.

The US is suggesting that it command the force although it will not have a large number of troops deployed on the terrain. It has already effectively assumed command 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 proposed American document outlines the aim of the stabilisation force as “together with the newly trained and screened police force to help secure border areas, secure the security environment in the region by guaranteeing the procedure of disarming the Gaza Strip including the elimination and prevention of rebuilding the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the lasting removal of weapons 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.

Arab states including Qatar are also concerned that this authority is overly broad, and if the group is to disarm, the group will only do so to fellow Palestinians, probably in the civilian police force, at a time that, from the militant perspective, marks the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also worry the draft mandate spills into giving the stabilisation force a administrative role in the territory, a responsibility that was to be set aside for a Palestinian expert panel working in cooperation with a reformed Palestinian Authority.

Humanitarian Aspects and Funding Issues

This “interim authority” in the strip would stay until “the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its restructuring plan, the satisfaction of which shall be approved to the board of peace”, the draft says. It also “emphasizes the significance” of unhindered humanitarian aid in Gaza, including through the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the humanitarian organizations.

However, it allows for the removal of “any group found to have misused such aid”. The phrase leaves open the board of peace barring the UN relief agency, the body that the global judicial body has said is the legal distributor of assistance.

International Diplomatic Efforts

France and Saudi Arabia are already advocating for a reference to a Palestinian state to be added in the document. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the US presidential residence on the specified date, and Manal Radwan has said that a mention to a Palestinian state is a requirement.

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

Not the UN nor the 15 strong security council are assigned a oversight role over the mission, supervising the implementation of the proposal, a aspect mostly overlooked by the proposed document. Nothing is outlined about the financing of this security operation, which, as per the US officials, should be mostly covered by regional nations, with Saudi Arabia assuming primary responsibility.

Israel's Requests and Local Situations

Israel is requesting written guarantees from the US that it be permitted to follow the model of the Lebanese situation and retain the authority to re-enter the territory if it considers demilitarization is not taking place at a level or pace it demands.

The Israeli proposal was put to the former US advisor, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in Jerusalem on Monday to review developments on the truce and Witkoff was due to arrive subsequently the that day.

Just the bodies of four of the original 251 Israeli hostages are still not recovered.

Independently, Israel has been suggesting that the Gaza Strip could yet be split in two with rebuilding efforts beginning in the Israel occupied parts of the strip. Western diplomats insist that this is no part of the Trump plan.