Washington Allocates First Funding for the International Stabilization Force in Gaza
Washington plans to provide the first funding for the proposed « International Stabilization Force » in Gaza, as the peace plan continues to face obstacles over the conditions for its implementation.
This was stated in two notifications dated July 30, which Reuters said it had reviewed.
According to Reuters, the U.S. State Department informed Congress that it would provide $200 million to fund equipment, infrastructure, vehicles, and operating costs for the International Stabilization Force. This represents the first significant funding for the stalled component of the U.S. plan to rebuild the territory devastated by the war.
An additional $6 million will also be allocated to refurbish U.S. armored vehicles in support of the force.
First Funding of Its Kind
The notifications, which were addressed to the main congressional appropriations and foreign affairs committees, had not previously been made public.
The funding nevertheless represents the first tangible U.S. expenditure on a peacekeeping force and signals the Trump administration’s determination to move forward with its roadmap for Gaza.
One of the notifications stated: « The International Stabilization Force will lead security operations, support comprehensive disarmament, and enable the secure delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza. » The force’s final composition, however, remains under negotiation.
The U.S. administration has not disclosed the total amount that will be required to fund the force.
Trump previously established a Board of Peace to oversee his ambitious plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza and rebuild the devastated territory.
His plan calls for peacekeeping forces to be deployed in Gaza to secure areas following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, train new Palestinian police forces, and support aid-delivery operations.
Large parts of Gaza remain devastated after two years of war that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held meetings with Hamas officials on Sunday and with Israeli leaders the following day, but left without achieving a breakthrough, as both sides maintained their core demands.
A « Board of Peace » official described the past two weeks as a period of « significant progress » and said the board had sought additional funding commitments as a result.
U.S. Commitment
Member states had initially pledged $17 billion toward reconstruction efforts in Gaza. However, Reuters reported in April that only a small portion of those funds had actually been received.
The « Board of Peace » has not yet disclosed how much funding it has received.
In an emailed statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said: « We are committed to fully implementing the president’s historic 21-point peace plan, of which the International Stabilization Force is one of the key components. »
He added that the administration was encouraged by the « steady progress » being made by the Board of Peace.
Another State Department official confirmed that the department had issued the notification, describing the funding as « initial » and adding that it would continue supporting the work of the Board of Peace.
A Stalled Plan
On July 30, Trump announced what he described as a breakthrough, saying that Hamas had agreed to gradually lay down its weapons alongside the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Hamas said it had agreed to the roadmap but clarified that its implementation depended on Israel first fulfilling its commitments, including halting attacks and withdrawing its forces.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose governing coalition has been losing ground in opinion polls ahead of elections scheduled for October, rejected the agreement this month, insisting that his forces would not withdraw before Hamas was completely disarmed.
So far, five countries have committed to sending troops to the International Stabilization Force: Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania. Egypt and Jordan, meanwhile, have committed to training police forces.
It remains unclear when any of these forces will be able to deploy to Gaza.
The ceasefire plan has reduced the level of violence in Gaza, but it has not brought Israeli attacks to an end.
According to Gaza health officials and the Israeli military, more than 1,200 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire was reached in October.
