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Friday, December 12, 2025
ISF will not fight Hamas, say US officials, who still seek to deploy force next month
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International troops could be deployed in the Gaza Strip as early as next month to form a UN-authorized stabilization force, two US officials tell Reuters, but it remains unclear how Hamas will be disarmed.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the International Stabilization Force (ISF) would not fight Hamas. They claim lots of countries have expressed interest in contributing and US officials are currently working out the size of the ISF, composition, housing, training and rules of engagement.
An American two-star general is being considered to lead the ISF, but no decisions have been made, the officials say.
The goal of deploying the ISF in January is not new, and The Times of Israel has reported for nearly two months that US officials have been talking about that aim. But the timeframe is appearing increasingly unlikely, as even the countries that were thought to be interested in contributing troops, such as Azerbaijan and Indonesia, have yet to formally announce decisions to do so.
Deployment of the force is a key part of the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Under the first phase, a fragile ceasefire in the two-year war began on October 10, with Hamas releasing hostages and Israel freeing detained Palestinians.
Indonesia has said it is prepared to deploy up to 20,000 troops to take on health and construction-related tasks in Gaza.
“It is still in the planning and preparation stages,” says Rico Sirait, spokesperson of Indonesian Defense Ministry. “We are now preparing the organizational structure of the forces to be deployed.”
An Azerbaijani official told The Times of Israel last week that Baku doesn’t have nearly enough information on the ISF’s mandate in order to make a decision to join the force.
The Times of Israel Community.