Report: Egypt pushing to accelerate deployment of Gaza stabilization force

Egypt is working with the United States and regional partners to accelerate the deployment of Gaza’s International Stabilization Force (ISF) in an effort to prevent a collapse of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and move toward implementing postwar governance, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reports.

According to the report, which cites sources familiar with the matter, Cairo hopes the force will create a new security reality in the Strip while supporting the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza headed by Palestinian technocrat Ali Shaath.

The newspaper says recent discussions have also focused on establishing a pilot zone in Rafah, where displaced Palestinians would be housed in caravans instead of launching broader reconstruction efforts, following statements made earlier this month by Board of Peace officials, who told reporters that tens of thousands would have access to temporary housing, humanitarian aid and safety at levels sorely lacking in the remainder of the Strip.

The plan, however, remains on paper, as it still requires approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which is unlikely to authorize even the smallest of IDF withdrawals as the fall parliamentary elections approach.

Sources also tell Al-Akhbar that Egypt has begun constructing new military towers and facilities near its border with Gaza to support the potential ISF deployment and is quietly working to increase the volume and quality of humanitarian aid entering the enclave while minimizing public disclosure to avoid Israeli objections.

The deployment of the ISF to Gaza has been tied to Hamas’s willingness to disarm. The terror group, which still controls large swaths of the enclave, is required to disarm according to the ceasefire it signed alongside Israel last October, though the group has so far shown no inclination to do so, which has made it difficult to find countries to volunteer for the force.