Israel approves Trump-backed international stabilization force for Gaza's Rafah pilot zone

Security cabinet gives go-ahead

Israel's Security Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, voted on Sunday to allow the International Stabilization Force (ISF) into the Gaza Strip. The decision clears the path for a pilot humanitarian zone in Rafah, a southern city under Israeli military control. The ISF mission, organized by the US-backed Gaza Peace Board, is intended to restore basic services and supervise a transition to Palestinian technocratic rule. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar acknowledged that the cabinet overcame its initial skepticism, choosing not to undermine President Donald Trump's initiative.

“This is an international plan. It may not succeed, but we will not undermine it.”

Rafah becomes test case for 20-point plan

The pilot will launch in the coming weeks, Israeli media reported, with an initial contingent of about 200 representatives from allied nations. Their mandate includes restoring water, electricity and health services in a defined humanitarian zone, administered by a Palestinian technocratic government and secured by the multinational force. The project represents the first operational phase of a sweeping "20-point plan" that aims to stabilize Gaza, support demilitarization, and hand over authority to a transitional Palestinian body called the Gaza National Government Council. The plan also includes a roadmap from mediators to turn the current ceasefire into a lasting political transition. Nickolai Mladenov, Director General of the Gaza Peace Board, confirmed the Israeli decision on X, calling the ISF deployment "a fundamental part of the framework agreed to stabilize Gaza" and noting its conformity with UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Hamas dissolved its own government in Gaza earlier this year, opening the door to a technocratic committee, but the group remains deeply wary of any arrangement that brings foreign troops onto Palestinian soil.

Deadlock over Hamas disarmament

Hamas insists it will not disarm unless Israel fully withdraws from Gaza, halts all attacks, allows unrestricted aid, and reopens border crossings. Since the truce took effect in October 2025, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, the group says. While Hamas accepts the possibility of a new Palestinian political body, it demands that the body operate free of foreign interference and has repeatedly expressed unease with the emerging technocratic government. These conditions put the group at odds with the core premise of the international mission.

Ben Gvir's opposition and the emigration push

Within the Israeli government, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected the plan outright. He argued that Hamas's failure to disarm frees Israel from any obligation to the agreement and advocated for a different approach.

“Since Hamas has not fulfilled its commitment to disarm and demilitarize the Gaza Strip, we are also not obliged by the agreement. I opposed the 20-point plan from the start. The solution in Gaza is to promote emigration.”

Ben Gvir's stance reflects deep internal divisions that could complicate the ISF's deployment and the broader stabilization effort.

Looking ahead

With cabinet approval secured, the ISF is expected to enter Rafah in the coming weeks, turning the enclave's southernmost city into a laboratory for postwar governance. The mission's success hinges on whether the fragile ceasefire can be transformed into a durable political settlement, whether Hamas can be persuaded or pressured to lay down arms, and whether the Israeli government can hold together long enough to see the pilot through. For now, the entry of a multinational peace force represents the most concrete step under the Trump framework since the fighting abated.