Marrakech – Israel is preparing for the entry of thousands of foreign soldiers into the Gaza Strip as early as May 1, Israeli public broadcaster KAN 11 reported Saturday. The deployment is part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) outlined in the Trump plan for Gaza.
The force will initially operate around the Palestinian city being built by the UAE near Rafah, then expand to other areas within the so-called Yellow Line. It will consist of approximately 5,000 Indonesian troops joined by dozens of soldiers from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania, and Kosovo.
Representatives from these five countries are expected to arrive in Israel by the end of March for preliminary tours of the Gaza Strip. The visits will proceed despite the ongoing military campaign against Iran. Hundreds of foreign soldiers will then travel to Jordan next month for preparatory training, including live-fire exercises.
Morocco formally committed to the force on February 19, when Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita announced Rabat’s contribution at the inaugural meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington. The announcement made Morocco the first Arab country to publicly pledge troops to the ISF.
Bourita said Morocco would deploy police officers to Gaza and train local policemen. He also confirmed Rabat would send high-ranking military officers to the ISF’s joint military command and establish a military field hospital. Morocco further committed to leading a deradicalization program aimed at combating hate speech and promoting coexistence.
ISF Commander Major General Jasper Jeffers detailed the five countries’ pledges at the meeting. He outlined a phased deployment starting in Rafah’s sector before expanding across Gaza. The long-term plan calls for 20,000 ISF troops and 12,000 trained police officers.
A scope limited to ceasefire monitoring and humanitarian assistance
The contributing countries have drawn a clear line on the scope of their involvement. They have stressed that their forces would be limited to peacekeeping tasks such as border security and humanitarian assistance, stopping well short of any operations that would require confronting Hamas or disarming other armed factions.
Trump disclosed Morocco was among several countries that collectively contributed over $7 billion to the Gaza relief package, alongside Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait. The US committed $10 billion.
Two days after the Washington meeting, Hamas softened its earlier opposition to the force. Spokesman Hazem Qassem said the group was open to international peacekeeping forces that monitor the ceasefire and act as a buffer. He rejected, however, any interference in Gaza’s internal affairs.
Indonesia, the force’s largest contributor, has since scaled back its initial offer from 20,000 to around 8,000 troops to be deployed gradually. Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin indicated the deployment timeline remains tied to developments within the Board of Peace.
President Prabowo Subianto warned Jakarta would withdraw from the board if it failed to serve Palestinian interests.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiyono confirmed that Board of Peace discussions were temporarily suspended due to the war between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. The KAN 11 report, however, suggests preparations on the ground are moving forward regardless.
