Gaza security force to include countries Israel ‘comfortable with,’ Rubio says

An international security force to be put in place in Gaza under a ceasefire agreement will have to be made up of countries that Israel is “comfortable with”, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday during a visit to Israel.

Mr. Rubio added that the future of governance in Gaza still needs to be worked out among Israel and partner nations but could not include Hamas, adding that any potential role for the Palestinian Authority has yet to be determined.

U.S. troops have begun the complex task of monitoring Gaza’s fragile ceasefire and planning an international force to stabilise the enclave.

The U.S. military announced this week that about 200 troops with expertise in transport, planning, security and engineering had started monitoring the ceasefire and would organise the flow of aid and security assistance to Gaza.

The Civil-Military Coordination Center operates from a business park opposite wood and steel factories in Kiryat Gat, a city northeast of Gaza. The building also hosts Israeli, British and Canadian military personnel.

One of its central missions will be the creation of a U.S.-backed international force for the enclave. While the U.S. has ruled out sending its own soldiers into Gaza, it could draw on troops from Egypt, Indonesia and Gulf countries.

The creation of an international force is a key part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war. But there are many obstacles ahead, ranging from whether Arab and other states will be ready to commit troops to Israel’s concerns about the make-up of the force.

“It is going to be indispensable to prevent the conflict continuing,” said Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington. “It is doable, but it is going to be very difficult.”

A major challenge is that Palestinian militant group Hamas has so far not committed to disarming and, since a tentative ceasefire took hold two weeks ago, has embarked on a violent crackdown against groups that have tested its grip on power.

Asked about the presence of an international force, a Hamas spokesperson said it was a “sensitive issue” that would require “thorough discussion” before the group took a position.

The Gaza war was triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed since in Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to Gaza health officials.