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Proposals for an international security mission authorized by the UN to demilitarize the militant group in Gaza are facing increasing opposition after the United Arab Emirates announced it would not join due to the lack of a well-defined legal framework.

Growing Global Reservations

Israeli authorities have already ruled out Turkish involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has stated that his country's forces will not join. The Azerbaijani government, once mooted as a possible contributor, did not attend a preparatory session in Istanbul and indicated it would not take part unless a full truce was established.

The UAE does not yet see a defined framework for the stabilisation mission and under such circumstances will not participate, but backs all diplomatic efforts towards resolution – and remain at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Regional Doubts and Legal Concerns

The Emirati decision, made by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, highlights Arab reservations about the terms of a American-proposed document previously distributed to delegates at the UN in NYC. The proposal assigns responsibility on a American-led stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring security in the territory after Israel have left the territory.

Arab states would like expanded duties to be assigned to a distinct Palestinian civilian police force. International law would also forbid foreign troops from entering contested Palestine unless there was clear Palestinian consent; otherwise, the force could be seen as coercive under UN law, and potentially stabilising an unlawful Israeli occupation.

Local Perspectives and Calls for Clarity

A Palestinian American co-author of the ceasefire proposal commented: “It is critical that the mission be deployed not to stabilise the illegal presence, but to uphold international law and terminate it. The mission will succeed as long as it enters the entire disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the request of Palestine, and has a clear objective to conclude the occupation within the context of a independent Palestinian state.”

There is no reference to the occupied territories in the US draft resolution, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a peaceful resolution, a outcome that Israel opposes.

Continuing Negotiations and Possible Dangers

In-depth talks on the stabilisation force mandate, including its leadership structure, began formally on last week in New York, and appear to be protracted – potentially creating the development of a power gap in the strip that may strengthen militant factions.

The United States is proposing that it lead the force although it will not have many troops deployed on the ground. It has already effectively taken control of the delivery of relief supplies into Gaza from a recently established civil military coordination centre based in the neighboring country.

Force Mandate and Governance Role

The proposed US resolution defines the purpose of the security mission as “together with the newly trained and screened police force to help secure frontier zones, stabilise the security environment in the region by guaranteeing the process of disarming the Gaza Strip including the elimination and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and offensive infrastructure as well as the lasting decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups”.

The mission, reporting to a “peace council” led by the former US president, and not to the UN, would be required to use “all necessary measures” to fulfill its objectives.

Regional powers including Qatari officials are also concerned that this mandate is too expansive, and if the group is to disarm, the faction will solely do so to local counterparts, likely in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the militant viewpoint, signifies the conclusion of occupation.

They also fear the draft mandate spills into giving the mission a administrative role in the territory, a task that was to be reserved for a local technocratic committee working in conjunction with a reformed local government.

Humanitarian Considerations and Funding Questions

This “transitional governance administration” in the strip would remain until “the Palestinian Authority has adequately completed its restructuring plan, the approval of which shall be acceptable to the BoP”, the proposal says. It also “underscores the significance” of unhindered relief in the territory, including through the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent.

Nonetheless, it opens the door the exclusion of “any group found to have misused such assistance”. The phrase leaves open the council barring Unrwa, the organization that the international court of justice has said is the legal distributor of assistance.

International Diplomatic Efforts

France 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 due in the US presidential residence on 18 November, and Manal Radwan has stated that a reference to a Palestinian state is a requirement.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, met the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Monday to discuss the authority's function.

Neither the United Nations nor the 15 strong UNSC are given a oversight function over the stabilisation force, supervising the implementation of the proposal, a aspect mostly ignored by the proposed document. Nothing is outlined about the funding of this stabilisation mission, which, according to the Americans, should be mostly covered by regional nations, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israel's Demands and Local Developments

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the United States that it be permitted to follow the model of the Lebanese situation and retain the right to return to Gaza if it considers demilitarization is not occurring at a level or speed it demands.

The Israeli proposal was put to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss developments on the ceasefire and Witkoff was due to arrive later the same day.

Only the remains of four of the initial hundreds of captives remain unreturned.

Separately, Israeli officials has been proposing that the territory could yet be divided in two with reconstruction work starting in the Israeli-controlled parts of the region. Western diplomats maintain that this is no part of the Trump plan.