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Proposals for an international security mission authorized by the UN to demilitarize Hamas in the Gaza Strip are encountering increasing opposition after the UAE announced it will not take part due to the lack of a well-defined legal structure.

Growing International Reservations

Israeli authorities have already ruled out Turkish participation, and the Jordanian King Abdullah has declared that his country's forces will not join. The Azerbaijani government, previously mooted as a potential contributor, did not attend a preparatory session in Istanbul and indicated it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was established.

The UAE does not yet see a defined structure for the stabilisation force and under such circumstances declines involvement, but will support all political efforts towards resolution – and stay at the forefront of relief efforts.

Arab Skepticism and Legal Concerns

The Emirati announcement, made by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, reflects regional reservations about the provisions of a American-proposed document already distributed to diplomats at the UN in NYC. The proposal assigns responsibility on a American-led security mission to be the primary means of ensuring security in Gaza after Israel have left the territory.

Regional governments would prefer greater responsibilities to be given to a separate local civilian police force. Global jurisprudence would also forbid external forces from entering occupied Palestine unless there was explicit local approval; without it, the force could be seen as coercive under UN law, and arguably reinforcing an illegal Israeli occupation.

Local Viewpoints and Appeals for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan commented: “It is essential that the force be sent not to reinforce the unlawful Israeli occupation, but to enforce global standards and terminate it. The mission will work as long as it operates in the whole occupied territory, including the West Bank, at the request of Palestine, and has a clear 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 Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israel rejects.

Continuing Discussions and Possible Dangers

In-depth talks on the mission mandate, including its command and control, started formally on Thursday in the UN headquarters, and look likely to be lengthy – potentially creating the development of a power gap in Gaza that may empower militant factions.

The United States is suggesting that it lead the mission although it will not have many troops involved on the terrain. It has previously effectively assumed command of the delivery of humanitarian aid into the territory from a recently established civil military coordination centre based in the neighboring country.

Force Objectives and Administrative Function

The proposed US resolution outlines the purpose of the stabilisation force as “together with the newly trained and screened law enforcement to assist in protecting border areas, stabilise the safety situation in the region by ensuring the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding the militant and hostile facilities as well as the lasting decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups”.

The mission, answerable to a “board of peace” led by Donald Trump, and not to the United Nations, would be mandated to use “all necessary measures” to achieve its objectives.

Arab states including Qatar are also concerned that this authority is too expansive, and if the group is to lay down arms, the group will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, probably in the civilian police force, at a time that, from the Hamas viewpoint, marks the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also fear the draft mandate extends to giving the stabilisation force a administrative role in Gaza, a task that was to be reserved for a local expert panel working in conjunction with a reformed Palestinian Authority.

Humanitarian Aspects and Financial Issues

This “interim authority” in Gaza would remain until “the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its restructuring plan, the approval of which shall be acceptable to the board of peace”, the proposal says. It also “emphasizes the significance” of full humanitarian aid in the territory, including through the UN, the ICRC, and the Red Crescent.

Nonetheless, it opens the door the removal of “any organisation determined to have improperly used such assistance”. The wording permits the board of peace excluding the UN relief agency, the organization that the international court of justice has ruled is the legal distributor of assistance.

International Diplomatic Initiatives

French officials and Saudi Arabia are already pressing for a mention to a Palestinian state 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 said that a reference to a independent Palestine is a requirement.

The Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on this week to review the PA role.

Not the UN nor the 15-member UNSC are assigned a oversight function over the mission, supervising the execution of the proposal, a point mostly overlooked by the proposed document. Nothing is specified about the financing of this security operation, which, as per the Americans, should be mostly covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israeli Demands and Regional Situations

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the US that it be permitted to follow the model of the Lebanese situation and retain the authority to re-enter Gaza if it believes demilitarization is not taking place at a scale or pace it requires.

The request was put to the former US advisor, Donald Trump’s relative, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in the Israeli capital on this week to discuss developments on the ceasefire and Witkoff was due to appear later the that day.

Only the bodies of a small number of the initial 251 Israeli hostages remain unreturned.

Separately, Israeli officials has been suggesting that the Gaza Strip could still be split in two parts with rebuilding efforts beginning in the Israel occupied parts of the region. International officials insist that this is not part of the Trump plan.