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Plans for an multinational security mission mandated by the United Nations to disarm the militant group in Gaza are encountering growing opposition after the United Arab Emirates announced it would not take part due to the lack of a well-defined legal structure.

Increasing Global Reservations

Israeli authorities have previously ruled out Turkey involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has declared that Jordanian troops will not participate. Azerbaijan, previously mooted as a possible participant, did not attend a preparatory session in Istanbul and indicated it would not take part unless a complete ceasefire was in place.

Emirati officials lacks clarity on a clear framework for the stabilisation mission and in this situation declines involvement, but backs all diplomatic initiatives towards resolution – and stay at the vanguard of relief efforts.

Arab Skepticism and Juridical Concerns

The UAE's announcement, delivered by senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in Abu Dhabi, highlights regional reservations about the terms of a US-drafted resolution previously circulated to diplomats at the UN in NYC. The draft places an onus on a US-directed stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring security in Gaza after Israeli forces have withdrawn from the territory.

Regional governments would like expanded responsibilities to be assigned to a separate local law enforcement agency. Global jurisprudence would also forbid foreign troops from deploying into contested Palestinian territories unless there was clear local approval; without it, the force could be seen as coercive under international statutes, and arguably stabilising an unlawful presence.

Local Perspectives and Calls for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan commented: “It is critical that the force be deployed not to reinforce the illegal presence, but to uphold global standards and terminate it. The mission will succeed as long as it operates in the entire disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a clear goal to conclude the occupation within the context of a sovereign state of Palestine.”

The draft contains no reference to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a outcome that Israel opposes.

Continuing Discussions and Possible Dangers

Detailed talks on the mission authority, including its command and control, began officially on Thursday in the UN headquarters, and appear to be protracted – risking the emergence of a vacuum in the strip that may strengthen militant factions.

The United States is proposing that it lead the force although it will not have many personnel involved on the ground. It has already in effect taken control of the delivery of relief supplies into the territory from a recently established logistical hub based in Israel.

Mission Objectives and Governance Function

The draft American document defines the aim of the security mission as “together with the recently prepared and vetted law enforcement to assist in protecting frontier zones, stabilise the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of disarming the territory including the destruction and prevention of reconstructing the military terror and offensive infrastructure as well as the lasting removal of weapons from militant factions”.

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

Arab states including Qatar are also worried that this authority is overly broad, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the faction will only do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the Hamas viewpoint, signifies the end of occupation.

They also worry the proposed authority spills into granting the mission a governance function in the territory, a task that was to be set aside for a Palestinian technocratic committee working in conjunction with a restructured local government.

Aid Considerations and Funding Questions

This “transitional governance administration” in the strip would remain until “the local government has adequately finished its reform program, the satisfaction of which shall be approved to the BoP”, the proposal says. It also “underscores the importance” of full relief in the territory, including through the UN, the ICRC, and the Red Crescent.

However, it opens the door the removal of “any organisation found to have misused such assistance”. The phrase permits the council barring the UN relief agency, the body that the global judicial body has said is the legal distributor of assistance.

Global Diplomatic Efforts

France and Saudi representatives 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 US presidential residence on the specified date, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has said that a mention to a independent Palestine is a prerequisite.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, in the French capital on Monday to discuss the authority's function.

Not the United Nations nor the 15 strong security council are given a oversight function over the stabilisation force, supervising the execution of the resolution, a point mostly overlooked by the draft text. Nothing is outlined about the financing of this security operation, which, according to the US officials, should be largely covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israel's Requests and Local Developments

Israeli authorities is requesting written guarantees from the US that it be permitted to emulate the model of the Lebanese situation and retain the right to re-enter the territory if it considers demilitarization is not occurring at a scale or pace it demands.

The Israeli proposal was put to the former US advisor, the ex-president's son-in-law, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in the Israeli capital on Monday to review developments on the truce and Witkoff was scheduled to arrive subsequently the that day.

Just the remains of four of the initial 251 captives are still not recovered.

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