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Proposals for an international stabilisation force authorized by the UN to disarm Hamas in Gaza are facing growing opposition after the UAE stated it would not take part due to the absence of a well-defined legal framework.

Increasing International Concerns

Israeli authorities have already excluded Turkey involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has stated that Jordanian troops will not join. The Azerbaijani government, once mooted as a possible participant, was absent from a preparatory session in Istanbul and said it would not contribute unless a full truce was in place.

Emirati officials lacks clarity on a defined framework for the stability mission and under such circumstances declines involvement, but backs all diplomatic initiatives towards resolution – and remain at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Regional Doubts and Legal Issues

The Emirati announcement, delivered by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, reflects regional doubts about the provisions of a US-drafted document already distributed to diplomats at the UN in New York. The draft places an onus on a American-led security mission to be the primary means of imposing security in the territory after Israeli forces have withdrawn from the territory.

Regional governments would prefer greater responsibilities to be given to a distinct local law enforcement agency. Global jurisprudence would also prohibit external forces from entering contested Palestinian territories unless there was clear local approval; otherwise, the force could be seen as coercive under UN law, and arguably stabilising an illegal Israeli occupation.

Palestinian Viewpoints and Calls for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan said: “It is critical that the mission be sent not to reinforce the unlawful Israeli occupation, but to enforce global standards and end it. The force will succeed as long as it enters the entire disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a defined objective to conclude the presence within the context of a independent Palestinian state.”

The draft contains no reference to the West Bank in the American proposal, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a two-state solution, a outcome that Israel rejects.

Ongoing Discussions and Potential Risks

In-depth talks on the mission authority, including its command and control, began formally on last week in New York, and look likely to be lengthy – potentially creating the development of a vacuum in the strip that may strengthen militant factions.

The US is proposing that it lead the mission although it will not have a large number of troops deployed on the terrain. It has already effectively taken control of the distribution of humanitarian aid into the territory from a recently established logistical hub based in the neighboring country.

Mission Mandate and Administrative Role

The proposed US resolution defines the purpose of the security mission as “together with the recently prepared and vetted law enforcement to assist in protecting border areas, secure the safety situation in Gaza by ensuring the procedure of disarming the territory including the destruction and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and offensive infrastructure as well as the lasting removal of arms from militant factions”.

The force, reporting to a “peace council” led by Donald Trump, and not to the UN, would be required to use “all necessary measures” to fulfill its goals.

Arab states including Qatar are also worried that this mandate is overly broad, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the faction will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, probably in the local law enforcement, at a moment that, from the militant perspective, marks the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also fear the draft mandate extends to granting the mission a governance function in Gaza, a responsibility that was to be set aside for a local expert panel working in cooperation with a restructured Palestinian Authority.

Aid Considerations and Financial Questions

This “transitional governance administration” in the strip would stay until “the local government has adequately finished its restructuring plan, the satisfaction of which shall be acceptable to the BoP”, the draft states. It also “emphasizes the significance” of full relief in Gaza, including through the United Nations, the ICRC, and the Red Crescent.

Nonetheless, it opens the door the removal of “any organisation found to have improperly used such aid”. The phrase leaves open the council excluding Unrwa, the body that the international court of justice has ruled is the legal provider of assistance.

Global Political Efforts

French officials and Saudi representatives are currently advocating for a reference to a sovereign Palestine to be included in the document. The Saudi leader, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the US presidential residence on 18 November, and Manal Radwan has said that a mention to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite.

The Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, met the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in the French capital on Monday to discuss the authority's function.

Not the United Nations nor the 15 strong security council are given a supervisory function over the mission, monitoring the execution of the proposal, a aspect mostly overlooked by the draft text. No details is specified about the funding of this security operation, which, as per the US officials, should be largely borne by Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia assuming primary responsibility.

Israeli Demands and Local Situations

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the US that it be permitted to emulate the pattern of the Lebanese situation and reserve the right to re-enter the territory if it believes demilitarization is not occurring at a level or pace it requires.

The Israeli proposal was presented to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s relative, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in the Israeli capital on this week to discuss progress on the truce and the envoy was scheduled to arrive subsequently the that day.

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

Separately, Israel has been suggesting that the territory could still be split in two parts with reconstruction work beginning in the Israel occupied areas of the region. International officials insist that this is no part of the former US administration's proposal.