The United States convened a high-level conference in Doha on Tuesday to examine how an International Stabilisation Force might eventually operate in Gaza as part of Phase 2 of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. The meeting, organised by the US Central Command, explored potential basing arrangements, command and control structures and the types of military units and financial contributions that partner governments might provide.
The closed-door meeting brought together representatives from more than 45 partner nations, including Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, France, the United Kingdom and Italy, to discuss the structure and objectives of the proposed multinational force. Despite the breadth of international attendance, the talks failed to deliver key decisions on how the force would function in practice. As a result, organisers have scheduled a follow-up meeting for military chiefs of staff in January to address the most contentious unresolved issues.
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A central aim of the Trump administration is to assemble a force of roughly 10,000 troops for the multinational mission. US officials have privately acknowledged, however, that reaching this target could take until next year. The State Department has formally approached more than 70 countries seeking troop contributions or financial support, but the response has been limited. Only 19 nations have indicated a willingness to assist, and many of these offers focus on logistics, equipment or funding rather than the deployment of combat forces. Among the countries present, Italy stands out as the only one to have made a clear commitment and to have informed Washington of the precise number of troops it could contribute. Indonesia has also signalled readiness to send as many as 20,000 personnel, but has made clear that these forces would be restricted to medical, engineering and construction roles rather than security operations.
One of the most serious obstacles facing the initiative is disagreement over where the force would be deployed. Countries currently engaged in talks with Washington have stated that they would only consider deploying troops within the so-called Yellow Line, which marks areas of Gaza already under the control of the Israel Defense Forces. These governments have shown strong reluctance to operate in the red zone, the 47 per cent of the enclave that remains under Hamas control. The United States, by contrast, has continued to press its partners to consider operating in Hamas-controlled areas in order to avoid renewed IDF operations.
The Doha meeting pointedly excluded Turkey, possibly because of Israel’s objections. Although Israel was not invited to attend the Doha meeting and did not participate directly, it followed the discussions closely and reportedly viewed Turkey’s exclusion as a diplomatic success, even while objecting to Qatar hosting the event. Israeli officials have been explicit in their opposition to any Turkish presence in Gaza, with Defence Minister Israel Katz declaring that Turkey would only see the enclave through binoculars. Ankara, which argues that it is prepared to participate and has signed the relevant declarations, has responded by lobbying the United States and Qatar to reverse the decision. Turkish officials have also reportedly pressured other countries, including Azerbaijan, to withhold their participation in the proposed force.
The creation of the International Stabilisation Force is a cornerstone of the second phase of the Trump administration’s peace plan, which envisages Hamas disarming and Israel withdrawing as the multinational force takes control of Gaza. There is, however, no agreement on whether the ISF itself would be responsible for disarming Hamas. The militant group has repeatedly stated that it will not disarm unless and until a Palestinian state is established. While President Trump has publicly claimed that the force is already operating and that countries will provide troops at his request, reporting suggests that the deployment timetable is slipping, with a January deployment now appearing increasingly unrealistic.
According to ongoing discussions, the United States envisions the force being led by an American general, with retired General Jasper Jeffries emerging as the leading candidate. The Trump administration hopes to train the forces in a Middle Eastern country before they are deployed in areas such as Rafah, followed by deployment in areas such as Rafah. This approach is intended to establish an international presence without immediately confronting Hamas, with any expansion into other parts of Gaza contingent on Israel’s confidence in the force’s military capabilities.
The Doha conference took place against the backdrop of disagreement between Jerusalem and Washington over the terms of the ongoing ceasefire. Washington is said to be investigating whether recent Israeli strikes in Gaza went against terms of the truce. As the Trump administration tries to reconcile its ambitious plans with the evident caution of its allies, the future of the initiative remains uncertain. For the plan to succeed, it requires meaningful troop commitments from multiple countries and also a resolution of the key strategic differences over engagement with Hamas and the role of regional powers such as Turkey. The outcome of the military chiefs’ meeting scheduled for January is likely to prove decisive.
