Iran war complicates plans for Gaza international force
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- The International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza, announced by the U.S. Board of Peace in February with a planned 20,000 troops, has failed to materialize as none of the five pledged countries have sent significant forces.
- Indonesia, which pledged 8,000 troops—the largest contribution—has put its deployment on indefinite hold, citing a lack of clear implementation guidelines and regional tensions following U.S.-Iran conflicts.
- The fragile Gaza ceasefire remains stalled, with Hamas refusing to disarm and Israel continuing military operations and territorial control; this deadlock has hindered the ISF's ability to begin operations.
- Other countries like Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania have either limited their commitments to humanitarian roles or have yet to deploy troops, citing ongoing negotiations and security concerns.
- Despite current delays, experts suggest Indonesia may still participate in the ISF in the future due to political and economic interests in maintaining strong ties with the U.S.