Washington Holds Conference in Doha This Month on International Force and Future of Gaza

SadaNews - The U.S. Central Command will hold a conference in the Qatari capital, Doha, on December 16, to develop a plan for establishing an international force to stabilize the Gaza Strip; according to two U.S. officials.

The officials mentioned that more than 25 countries are expected to send representatives to the conference, which will include sessions on leadership structure and other issues related to the force in Gaza.

They stated that international forces may be deployed in Gaza as early as next month to form the stabilization force authorized by the United Nations, but it remains unclear how to disarm Hamas; according to statements made to Reuters on Friday.

The officials, who declined to be named, indicated that the international stabilization force would not be fighting Hamas. They added that many countries have expressed interest in contributing, and that U.S. officials are currently working on determining the size, composition, basing, training, and rules of engagement for the international force.

The officials noted that a two-star American general is being considered to lead the force, but no decision has been made yet.

The deployment of this force is a key part of the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. In the first phase, a fragile ceasefire began on October 11, after two years of war, during which Hamas released Israeli prisoners while Tel Aviv released Palestinian prisoners.

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt told reporters on Thursday, "There is a lot of quiet planning happening behind the scenes right now for the second phase of the peace agreement... We want to ensure a lasting and sustainable peace."

Indonesia Prepares Forces

Indonesia has announced its readiness to deploy up to 20,000 troops for health and construction tasks in Gaza.

The spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, Riko Serait, said, "It is still in the planning and preparation stages. We are currently preparing the organizational structure of the troops to be deployed."

Israel still controls 53% of the Gaza Strip, while nearly all of the region's almost two million inhabitants live in the remaining area controlled by Hamas. The two U.S. officials indicated that the plan, following SadaNews's report, which is to be finalized by the so-called "Peace Council", calls for the international force to be deployed in the area controlled by Israel.

According to Trump's plan, when the international force consolidates its control and stabilizes the situation, Israeli forces will gradually withdraw "according to criteria, phases, and timeframes related to disarmament".

The UN Security Council decision issued on November 17 authorized the Peace Council and cooperating countries to form the international force. Trump stated on Wednesday that the world leaders who will work in the "Peace Council" will be announced early next year.

Disarmament of Gaza

The Security Council has authorized the international force to operate alongside recently trained and vetted Palestinian police to achieve security stability "by ensuring a disarmament process in the Gaza Strip, including destroying military and offensive infrastructure and preventing its reconstruction, as well as permanently disarming non-governmental armed groups" as SadaNews has learned.

However, the exact method of implementing this has not yet been clarified.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz indicated on Thursday that the Security Council has granted the international force the authority to disarm Gaza by all necessary means, which includes the use of force.

He told Israeli Channel 12, "Clearly this will be a subject of discussion with each country," adding that discussions on rules of engagement are ongoing.

Hamas stated that the disarmament issue has not been officially discussed with them by the mediators, which are the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, and the movement's position remains that it will not disarm before a Palestinian state is established.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a speech on Sunday that the second phase will head towards demilitarization and disarmament.

Netanyahu said, "This raises a question now... our friends in America want to try to create a multinational task force to carry out this mission. I told them I welcome that. Are there any volunteers here? Please come forward."

He added, "We know there are specific activities that this force can undertake… but some things may go beyond its capabilities, and perhaps the most important part is beyond its capabilities, but we will see what happens."