Hamas has signaled its reluctance to embrace a US-brokered peace initiative for Gaza, stipulating that any international force deployed in the region must refrain from meddling in its “internal affairs.”
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem clarified the group’s stance in a statement to AFP, saying, “We are open to peacekeeping forces that will oversee the ceasefire, ensure its enforcement, and act as a buffer between the occupation army and the people of Gaza, provided they do not interfere in Gaza’s internal matters.”
An International Stabilization Force is a cornerstone of President Trump’s comprehensive 20-point plan aimed at rehabilitating the conflict-ravaged Gaza, which is designed to gradually diminish Hamas’s control over the area.
In October 2025, both Israel and Hamas endorsed a ceasefire agreement, effectively bringing hostilities in Gaza to an end.
The agreement also called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages and the phased withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from territories they had occupied within Gaza.
In late January, the remains of the last Israeli captive, Sgt. Ran Gvili, were returned to Israeli authorities, marking a significant milestone in the peace process.
The deal also calls for Hamas to disarm, Gaza to be completely demilitarized, and the Strip ruled by a technocratic committee that ultimately reports to the Board of Peace, an international group chaired by President Trump.
Five countries are sending troops to Gaza as part of the ISF, including Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania, while Egypt and Jordan have committed to training a Palestinian police force inside the strip, ISF Cmdr. Jasper Jeffers said.
The 20,000-troop force will initially be deployed to Rafah in Southern Gaza, and help train an expected 1,200 police officers. They will then deploy to the rest of the Strip “sector by sector,” Jeffers said.
But Hamas and Israel have continued to trade attacks along the Strip despite the tenuous cease-fire, with the terror group committing daily violations of the truce, the IDF has claimed.
“We see them test our troops. We see them carrying out attacks every week … [Hamas] injured and killed soldiers since the ceasefire began,” IDF Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told The Post.
Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
With Post Wires.
