Israeli Cabinet approves deployment of international stabilization force in Gaza: Report

Israel’s Security Cabinet approved on Sunday the deployment of the Board of Peace’s International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip under US President Donald Trump’s plan, according to Israeli media. The ISF is one of four bodies established to administer Gaza under Trump’s plan, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2803 on Nov. 17, 2025. “The Cabinet approved the entry into the Gaza Strip of a multinational force affiliated with the Board of Peace,” the Israel Hayom newspaper reported. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voted against the decision, opposing the Cabinet majority, it added. “Hamas has not honored its commitment to demilitarize the Gaza Strip and disarm, so neither are we bound by it,” Ben-Gvir said, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. He also claimed that the solution in Gaza was to “encourage migration.” 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,” the newspaper reported. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said the Cabinet’s approval effectively gives the green light to begin establishing a headquarters for the force near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. In a statement on the US social media company X, the Board of Peace’s lead envoy for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, welcomed Israel’s steps to facilitate the ISF deployment in Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Mladenov called it “a critical part” of the agreed framework for stabilizing and demilitarizing the enclave and enabling a transition to “effective Palestinian transitional administration” under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. He said the focus should now be on advancing Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, including implementing the roadmap presented by the mediators. Israel’s Channel 12, citing an unnamed Israeli political source, said the Security Cabinet had approved the entry of the Board of Peace and international forces into Gaza, in coordination with the Israeli army, in areas outside the “Yellow Line.” The “Yellow Line” is an imaginary boundary established under the October 2025 ceasefire understandings and marked by yellow concrete blocks. It separates areas from which the Israeli army has withdrawn from those it continues to occupy, which constitute around 70% of the Gaza Strip. “Israel alone is authorized to approve which countries may send forces to Gaza,” the source claimed. Separately, Yedioth Ahronoth, citing another unnamed political source, said Tel Aviv insisted on maintaining control over the “Yellow Line” area unless Hamas and the Gaza Strip were disarmed. “The entry of any international forces into Gaza requires separate approval from the prime minister and the defense and foreign ministers,” the source claimed. The newspaper said the international contingent currently comprises only about 200 personnel from “friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco.” Neither country immediately commented on the report. 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. While Hamas fulfilled its first-phase obligations by releasing Israeli captives, Israel has continued its attacks and restricted the entry of humanitarian assistance. The agreement’s second phase includes a broader Israeli military withdrawal and Gaza’s reconstruction alongside the start of the disarmament of Palestinian factions. Israel, however, insists that disarmament must come first. Trump’s plan calls for the US to work with Arab and international partners to establish a temporary international stabilization force for immediate deployment in Gaza. The force would train and support Palestinian police officers in the enclave and consult Egypt and Jordan, which the plan says have extensive experience in the field. It would also work with Israel and Egypt to secure border areas, prevent weapons from entering Gaza and facilitate the rapid and safe flow of goods, according to the plan.