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Plans for an international security mission mandated by the United Nations to disarm the militant group in Gaza are facing growing resistance after the United Arab Emirates announced it would not join due to the absence of a well-defined legal structure.

Increasing Global Concerns

Israel have already ruled out Turkish participation, and the Jordanian King Abdullah has declared that his country's troops will not join. Azerbaijan, previously mooted as a possible participant, did not attend a planning meeting in Istanbul and said it would not take part unless a full ceasefire was established.

The UAE lacks clarity on a clear structure for the stability force and under such circumstances will not participate, but will support all political initiatives towards peace – and remain at the vanguard of relief efforts.

Regional Skepticism and Juridical Issues

The UAE's announcement, delivered by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, highlights regional reservations about the provisions of a American-proposed resolution already distributed to delegates at the UN in New York. The draft places an onus on a US-directed stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring order in Gaza after Israel have left the territory.

Regional governments would like greater duties to be given to a separate Palestinian civilian police force. Global jurisprudence would also prohibit external forces from entering contested Palestinian territories unless there was explicit local approval; without it, the force could be seen as imposed under UN law, and arguably reinforcing an unlawful Israeli occupation.

Palestinian Perspectives and Calls for Clarity

Jamal Nusseibeh of the Palestinian armistice plan commented: “It is critical that the mission be sent not to stabilise the unlawful Israeli occupation, but to enforce international law and terminate it. The mission will work as long as it enters the whole disputed land, including the West Bank, at the request of the Palestinian authorities, and has a defined objective to conclude the presence within the framework of a sovereign state of Palestine.”

The draft contains no mention to the West Bank in the American proposal, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israeli leadership opposes.

Continuing Negotiations and Possible Risks

Detailed negotiations on the mission authority, including its command and control, started formally on last week in New York, and appear to be lengthy – potentially creating the development of a vacuum in the strip that may empower militant factions.

The US is suggesting that it lead the force although it will not have a large number of troops involved on the ground. It has previously in effect assumed command of the delivery of relief supplies into the territory from a recently established logistical hub based in the neighboring country.

Mission Mandate and Governance Function

The proposed American document defines the aim of the stabilisation force as “along with the recently prepared and screened police force to help secure frontier zones, secure the security environment in the region by guaranteeing the process of disarming the Gaza Strip including the elimination and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and offensive infrastructure as well as the permanent decommissioning of arms from non-state armed groups”.

The force, reporting to a “board of peace” chaired by the former US president, and not to the United Nations, would be mandated to use “all necessary measures” to fulfill its objectives.

Arab states including Qatar are also concerned that this authority is overly broad, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the faction will solely do so to local counterparts, probably in the civilian police force, at a time that, from the Hamas perspective, marks the conclusion of occupation.

They also fear the proposed authority 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 conjunction with a restructured Palestinian Authority.

Aid Considerations and Financial Questions

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would remain until “the Palestinian Authority has adequately finished its reform program, the approval of which shall be approved to the BoP”, the proposal states. It also “underscores the importance” of unhindered humanitarian aid in the territory, including through the United Nations, the ICRC, and the humanitarian organizations.

However, it allows for the removal of “any organisation determined to have misused such assistance”. The phrase permits the board of peace excluding Unrwa, the organization that the international court of justice has said is the lawful provider of assistance.

Global Diplomatic Efforts

French officials and Saudi representatives are currently advocating for a mention to a sovereign Palestine to be added in the document. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is scheduled in the White House on the specified date, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has stated that a reference to a independent Palestine is a prerequisite.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, met the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on this week to discuss the authority's function.

Not the UN nor the 15 strong UNSC are given a oversight function over the stabilisation force, monitoring the execution of the resolution, a point mostly overlooked by the draft text. Nothing is outlined about the funding of this stabilisation mission, which, as per the Americans, should be largely borne by Gulf states, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israel's Demands and Local Developments

Israel is requesting written guarantees from the United States that it be allowed to follow the pattern of Lebanon and retain the right to return to the territory if it considers disarmament is not taking place at a scale or pace it demands.

The request was presented to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in Jerusalem on this week to discuss progress on the ceasefire and the envoy was scheduled to appear subsequently the same day.

Just the bodies of four of the original 251 captives remain unreturned.

Separately, Israeli officials has been suggesting that the territory could still be divided in two parts with rebuilding efforts starting in the Israel occupied areas of the strip. Western diplomats insist that this is no part of the Trump plan.