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French proposal envisions multinational Gaza force tasked with gradually disarming Hamas
what are the chances?
Jacob Magid
France is advancing an initiative aimed at establishing an "International Stabilization Mission" that would replace the IDF in Gaza and work to disarm Hamas after the war ends, according to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Times of Israel. The proposal aims to operationalize an internationally-backed declaration from July calling for a two-state solution, the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual transfer of internal security in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. The proposal envisions several states leading the transitional...
France is advancing an initiative aimed at establishing an “International Stabilization Mission” that would replace the IDF in Gaza and work to disarm Hamas after the war ends, according to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Times of Israel.
The proposal aims to operationalize an internationally-backed declaration from July calling for a two-state solution, the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual transfer of internal security in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.
The proposal envisions several states leading the transitional force and specifically names Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as preferred candidates.
The draft “outlines a pragmatic pathway to deploy — in a short timeframe — a UN-mandated, regionally-led temporary stabilization mission in Palestine as provided for in the New York Declaration, once the environment is sufficiently permissive.”
The New York Declaration was cosponsored by France and Saudi Arabia in July and was subsequently endorsed by Arab countries, including Qatar and Egypt, before being enshrined in a UN General Assembly resolution earlier this month.
The declaration stated that signatories “support the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission upon invitation by the Palestinian Authority and under the aegis of the United Nations and in line with UN principles.”
Results are displayed during a General Assembly meeting to vote on the two states solution to the Palestinian question at United Nations headquarters (UN) on September 12, 2025 in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
“This mission, which could evolve depending on the needs, would provide protection to the Palestinian civilian population, support transfer of internal security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, provide capacity building support for the Palestinian State and its security forces, and security guarantees for Palestine and Israel, including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement, in full respect of their sovereignty,” the New York Declaration added.
Peacekeeping force vs. multinational mission The French proposal for the International Stabilization Mission, obtained by The Times of Israel, gets more specific about the mandate and scope of the mission, serving as a potential precursor for a UN Security Council resolution that would establish the force.
The draft states that the force would ideally take the form of a United Nations peacekeeping operation (PKO) or a special political mission (SPM), which would be officially neutral, have more internationally legitimacy and operate under a clear set of principles.
However, establishing a lower-level, ad hoc Multinational Mission led and commanded by specific nations would allow for faster deployment, as it requires fewer approvals, and is more likely to be accepted by the parties on the ground, the proposal states.
The mission would be funded by voluntary donors, such as Gulf countries, through a dedicated trust fund, rather than through mandatory contributions, the draft says.
Notably, the proposal suggests that the mission could be deployed before an end to the war in Gaza, but it specifies that securing a ceasefire agreement ahead of time is “most preferable.”
Two-phase deployment The draft envisions a two-phased deployment, ideally beginning after a ceasefire is reached, with the objectives of the force stated as “ceasefire monitoring, protection to the Palestinian civilian population, gradual disarmament of Hamas and facilitation of humanitarian access and delivery of basic services in coordination with the PA and UN agencies.”
In phase two, which is characterized as medium-to-long-term, the international force will focus on “capacity building support” for a future Palestinian state, drawing lessons from similar UN missions in Kosovo and East Timor.The force will support the transfer of internal security to the PA, coordinating with existing initiatives to train Palestinian police, the draft says, referencing ongoing programs led by Egypt and Jordan to ready thousands of PA security force members for deployment in Gaza.
The stabilization mission will also assist preparations for Palestinian elections across Gaza and the West Bank and coordinate reconstruction efforts in the Strip.
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