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Plans for an international stabilisation force authorized by the United Nations to disarm Hamas 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.

Growing International Concerns

Israel have already ruled out Turkey participation, and Jordan's King Abdullah has declared that his country's forces will not join. Azerbaijan, once mooted as a possible contributor, did not attend a preparatory session in Turkey and said it would not take part unless a complete ceasefire was in place.

Emirati officials lacks clarity on a clear structure for the stabilisation force and under such circumstances declines involvement, but will support all diplomatic efforts towards peace – and remain at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Arab Doubts and Legal Issues

The Emirati decision, delivered by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in Abu Dhabi, reflects Arab reservations about the terms of a US-drafted document already distributed to delegates at the UN in NYC. The draft assigns responsibility on a American-led stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring order in Gaza after Israel have left the territory.

Arab states would prefer expanded duties to be given to a separate Palestinian civilian police force. Global jurisprudence would also prohibit foreign troops from entering occupied Palestine unless there was explicit local approval; without it, the force could be viewed as coercive under international statutes, and arguably stabilising an illegal Israeli occupation.

Local Perspectives and Appeals for Clarity

A Palestinian American co-author of the ceasefire proposal said: “It is critical that the mission be sent not to stabilise the unlawful presence, but to enforce international law and terminate 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 end the occupation within the framework of a sovereign state of Palestine.”

There is no reference to the West Bank in the American proposal, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israel rejects.

Ongoing Discussions and Potential Dangers

In-depth talks on the mission mandate, including its leadership structure, started officially on last week in the UN headquarters, and appear to be protracted – risking the development of a vacuum in the strip that may empower Hamas.

The United States is suggesting that it lead the mission although it will not have many personnel deployed on the ground. It has previously in effect assumed command of the delivery of humanitarian aid into the territory from a new logistical hub based in Israel.

Force Mandate and Administrative Function

The draft American document outlines the purpose of the security mission as “together with the recently prepared and screened law enforcement to help secure frontier zones, secure the safety situation in the region by guaranteeing the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip including the elimination and prevention of rebuilding the militant and offensive infrastructure as well as the permanent removal of arms from militant factions”.

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

Regional powers including Qatar are also worried that this authority is too expansive, and if Hamas is to disarm, the faction will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the militant perspective, signifies the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also worry the proposed authority extends to giving the stabilisation force a governance function in Gaza, a task that was to be set aside for a local expert panel working in conjunction with a reformed local government.

Aid Aspects and Financial Questions

This “interim authority” in Gaza would remain until “the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its restructuring plan, the satisfaction of which shall be approved to the BoP”, the proposal says. It also “underscores the significance” of unhindered humanitarian aid in the territory, including through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent.

However, it allows for the exclusion of “any group found to have misused such aid”. The phrase leaves open the board of peace excluding the UN relief agency, the body that the international court of justice has ruled is the lawful distributor of aid.

International Diplomatic Initiatives

France and Saudi Arabia are currently advocating for a mention to a Palestinian state to be added in the resolution. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is scheduled in the US presidential residence on 18 November, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has stated that a mention to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Monday to review the PA role.

Neither the UN nor the 15 strong security council are assigned a supervisory role over the stabilisation force, supervising the implementation of the resolution, a aspect largely ignored by the proposed document. No details is outlined about the funding of this security operation, which, as per the US officials, should be mostly covered by Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia taking the lead.

Israel's Demands and Regional Situations

Israeli authorities is seeking formal assurances from the US that it be allowed to follow the pattern of Lebanon and retain the authority to re-enter the territory if it believes disarmament is not occurring at a level or pace it demands.

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

Only the bodies of four of the initial 251 captives remain unreturned.

Separately, Israel has been proposing that the territory could still be divided in two parts with rebuilding efforts starting in the Israeli-controlled parts of the strip. Western diplomats maintain that this is no part of the former US administration's proposal.