Morocco's Commitment to the International Stabilization Force
In a significant move on February 19, Morocco officially committed to contributing troops to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) as part of President Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza. This announcement was made by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita during the inaugural meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace held in Washington, marking Morocco as the first Arab nation to publicly pledge military support for this international effort.
Reports from Israeli public broadcaster KAN 11 indicate that Israel is preparing for the deployment of thousands of foreign soldiers into the Gaza Strip, starting as early as May 1. The ISF aims to stabilize the region and will initially focus on the vicinity of a Palestinian city being developed by the UAE near Rafah, with plans to extend its operations across various areas within the designated Yellow Line. The force will comprise approximately 5,000 troops from Indonesia, along with contributions from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania, and Kosovo.
Details of the Deployment and Scope of Operations
As part of this commitment, representatives from the five contributing nations are expected to arrive in Israel by the end of March for preliminary visits to the Gaza Strip. Despite the ongoing military operations against Iran, these visits are anticipated to proceed as planned. Following these tours, hundreds of foreign soldiers will head to Jordan for preparatory training, which will include live-fire exercises. Morocco's contribution will consist of police officers tasked with training local law enforcement, as well as sending high-ranking military officials to join the ISF’s command structure and establishing a field hospital in Gaza. Additionally, Morocco is dedicated to spearheading a deradicalization initiative aimed at promoting coexistence and combating hate speech.
ISF Commander Major General Jasper Jeffers highlighted the pledges made by the five nations, detailing a phased deployment strategy that begins in the Rafah sector before extending throughout Gaza. The long-term vision is to deploy a total of 20,000 ISF troops alongside 12,000 trained police officers. However, the contributing countries have made it clear that their engagement will be strictly limited to peacekeeping operations, focusing on border security and humanitarian assistance, without involving direct confrontations with Hamas or other armed groups present in the region.
In a related development, President Trump noted Morocco's role among several nations that collectively contributed over $7 billion towards the Gaza relief package, in collaboration with countries such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the UAE, among others. The United States has also pledged $10 billion to assist in these efforts. Following the Washington meeting, Hamas expressed a softened stance towards the international force, with spokesman Hazem Qassem indicating a willingness to accept peacekeeping troops to monitor the ceasefire, although firmly rejecting any interference in Gaza's internal matters.
Indonesia, which is the largest contributor to the ISF, has revised its initial troop commitment from 20,000 to approximately 8,000, with plans for gradual deployment. Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has mentioned that the deployment schedule is contingent upon developments within the Board of Peace. Furthermore, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiyono confirmed that discussions within the Board of Peace are currently on hold due to the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran, despite ground preparations reportedly continuing.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
