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ISF Approved, Rafah Pilot
Israel’s security cabinet approved a legal framework to allow an international security force into Gaza, with an Israeli official saying the planned mission would include 200 members from friendly countries and deploy in parts of Gaza outside Israeli control.
The plan is tied to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire framework, and multiple outlets describe it as an International Stabilization Force linked to the “Peace Council,” with each contingent requiring separate Israeli approval to enter Gaza.
Israel’s approval came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to travel to Washington, where he is expected to meet Trump, and the decision was described as a step ahead of that trip.
The proposed pilot phase is set to begin in Rafah, in an area not controlled by Hamas, where temporary housing would be built, basic services provided, and humanitarian aid distributed, according to JForum.
In parallel, BBC reported Palestinian police officers were killed in an Israeli airstrike near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killing Colonel Wail al-Dalawi and Lieutenant Rami Abu Zurayq just before noon on Sunday.
Ben-Gvir Opposes, Hamas Pushback
The cabinet vote was contested, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposing the decision, saying, “Hamas has not honored its commitment to demilitarize the Gaza Strip and disarm, so neither are we bound by it,” as reported by Daily Sabah.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded during the meeting that it was “an international plan,” adding, “We may not succeed, but we should not be the ones to derail it,” according to Daily Sabah.
Hamas rejected the approach, with Daily Sabah saying Hamas says continued demands for its disarmament while bypassing Israel’s obligations under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement contradict Trump’s Gaza plan.
BBC also framed the broader Gaza context through the killing of Colonel Wail al-Dalawi and Lieutenant Rami Abu Zurayq, and it reported that Israel says these kills were members of Hamas’s armed wing and posed an imminent threat to Israel and its forces inside Gaza.
In the West Bank, BBC reported Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages on Sunday morning, setting fire to two mosques, after the killing of an Israeli on Friday during an exchange of fire with Palestinians during an incursion into Tal, southwest of Nablus.
Control, Immunity, and Next Phases
Multiple outlets said Israel would keep tight control over where the force operates, with The Times of Israel reporting that the IDF will continue to hold the Yellow Line and that there will be “no [further] withdrawal whatsoever until Hamas has been completely disarmed and the Gaza Strip has been fully demilitarized.”
The Times of Israel also reported the cabinet approved granting the ISF immunity under Israel’s “Immunities of International Organizations Law,” and said ISF troops will operate in “full coordination with the IDF” in areas outside of Israel Defense Forces’ control.
Israel’s conditions for participation were described as requiring peace agreements and eligibility limits, with The Times of Israel saying “only countries with which Israel has a peace agreement” and that are “not acting against the State of Israel” would be eligible.
The stakes for governance and transition were emphasized by The Times of Israel through Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov, who welcomed the steps by writing, “I welcome steps by Israel that enable the deployment of the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803.”
At the same time, BBC reported that since the announcement of the October 7, 2023 war ceasefire agreement, the number of people killed by Israeli fire has reached 1,200, while the cumulative Palestinian death toll since the start of the war stands at 73,326, underscoring the scale of the conflict surrounding any proposed stabilization.
