Israel prepares to deploy international forces in Gaza from May
Israel is preparing to deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip from May onwards as part of the next phase of the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, according to Israel’s public broadcasting corporation, KAN, on Saturday.
The force, estimated to comprise approximately 5,000 soldiers from Indonesia, together with dozens of troops from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania, and Kosovo, could begin operations on 1 May, the broadcaster reported.
The troops will initially be stationed around a Palestinian city being constructed with support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Rafah area of southern Gaza Strip before expanding to other parts of the territory, the report added.
The broadcaster stated that military delegations from participating countries are expected to arrive in Israel within two weeks to conduct reconnaissance tours of Gaza before troop deployment.
The presence of these forces will be expanded within an area referred to by Israeli media as the “yellow line”, a temporary boundary in Gaza where Israeli forces will temporarily withdraw based on a ceasefire agreement separating Israeli-controlled zones from areas where Palestinians are permitted to reside.
The report also mentions that hundreds of foreign troops are expected to depart for Jordan next month for training before entering Gaza as part of the international force.
On 9 February, the Israeli television station reported that preparations had begun for the arrival of thousands of Indonesian troops as part of the stabilisation force envisioned in Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
Previously, on 16 January, the White House announced a governance structure for Gaza’s transitional phase, including a Peace Council, Gaza Executive Council, National Committee for Gaza Administration, and international stabilisation forces.
The stabilisation force will oversee security operations in Gaza, disarm armed groups, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.
This step is part of the second phase of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, which is supported by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 issued on 17 November 2025.
On 6 March, Indonesia announced that it would withdraw from the Peace Council if it failed to support Palestinian independence. President Prabowo Subianto conveyed this during a meeting with over 160 Islamic scholars at the presidential palace in Jakarta.
The ceasefire came into effect on 10 October 2025, following a two-year genocide in Gaza that killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured more than 171,000 others.
The genocide also destroyed approximately 90 per cent of the civil infrastructure in the territory, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around 70 billion US dollars (Rp1.187 trillion).