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Proposals for an multinational security mission authorized by the UN to demilitarize Hamas in Gaza are encountering growing resistance after the United Arab Emirates stated it would not join due to the lack of a clear legal framework.

Increasing International Concerns

Israeli authorities have previously ruled out Turkish involvement, and the Jordanian King Abdullah has declared that Jordanian forces will not participate. The Azerbaijani government, once considered as a potential contributor, was absent from a preparatory meeting in Istanbul and indicated it would not contribute unless a full truce was established.

The UAE does not yet see a clear structure for the stability force and under such circumstances will not participate, but backs all political initiatives towards resolution – and remain at the forefront of humanitarian aid.

Arab Skepticism and Juridical Concerns

The UAE's decision, delivered by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in the UAE capital, reflects Arab doubts about the terms of a US-drafted resolution already circulated to delegates at the UN in NYC. The draft assigns responsibility on a American-led stabilisation force to be the primary means of ensuring order in Gaza after Israeli forces have withdrawn from the territory.

Arab states would prefer greater responsibilities to be assigned to a separate Palestinian law enforcement agency. International law would also forbid foreign troops from entering occupied Palestine unless there was clear local approval; without it, the force could be seen as coercive under UN law, and potentially reinforcing an unlawful presence.

Local Perspectives and Calls for Clarity

A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan commented: “It is critical that the force be sent not to reinforce the illegal presence, but to uphold international law and end it. The force will succeed as long as it operates in the whole occupied territory, including the occupied territories, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a clear goal to conclude the occupation within the framework of a independent state of Palestine.”

The draft contains no mention to the West Bank in the American proposal, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israel rejects.

Ongoing Negotiations and Possible Risks

In-depth talks on the stabilisation force authority, including its leadership structure, started officially on Thursday in the UN headquarters, and look likely to be lengthy – potentially creating the emergence of a power gap in the strip that may empower Hamas.

The US is suggesting that it lead the mission although it will not have many personnel deployed on the terrain. It has already in effect assumed command of the distribution of relief supplies into Gaza from a recently established logistical hub based in the neighboring country.

Force Mandate and Administrative Function

The proposed US resolution defines the purpose of the security mission as “together with the recently prepared and screened police force to help secure border areas, stabilise the security environment in Gaza by guaranteeing the process of demilitarising the territory including the destruction and blocking of rebuilding the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the permanent decommissioning of arms from non-state armed groups”.

The mission, answerable to a “peace council” chaired by Donald Trump, and not to the United Nations, would be mandated to use “any required actions” to fulfill its goals.

Arab states including Qatari officials are also concerned that this authority is overly broad, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the faction will only do so to local counterparts, probably in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the militant perspective, signifies the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also fear the draft mandate spills into giving the mission a administrative function in Gaza, a task that was to be reserved for a Palestinian technocratic committee working in cooperation with a reformed local government.

Aid Aspects and Financial Issues

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would stay until “the local government has adequately completed its reform program, the approval of which shall be approved to the board of peace”, the proposal says. It also “underscores the significance” of full relief in Gaza, including through the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the humanitarian organizations.

However, it allows for the exclusion of “any organisation found to have improperly used such assistance”. The phrase leaves open the board of peace barring the UN relief agency, the organization that the global judicial body has said is the lawful distributor of assistance.

International Diplomatic Efforts

French officials and Saudi Arabia are already advocating for a reference to a Palestinian state to be added in the resolution. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the US presidential residence on 18 November, and Manal Radwan has said that a mention to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite.

The PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on this week to discuss the authority's function.

Not the United Nations nor the 15-member security council are assigned a oversight role over the mission, monitoring the implementation of the proposal, a aspect largely overlooked by the proposed document. No details is outlined about the funding of this security operation, which, according to the US officials, should be largely borne by regional nations, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israel's Requests and Local Situations

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the US that it be allowed to emulate the model of Lebanon and retain the authority to return to Gaza if it considers disarmament is not occurring at a scale or speed it requires.

The Israeli proposal was put to Jared Kushner, the ex-president's relative, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in the Israeli capital on this week to discuss developments on the ceasefire and the envoy was scheduled to arrive subsequently the that day.

Only the remains of four of the initial 251 Israeli hostages remain unreturned.

Separately, Israel has been proposing that the Gaza Strip could yet be divided in two with rebuilding efforts beginning in the Israel occupied parts of the region. Western diplomats insist that this is no part of the Trump plan.