President Donald Trump's ambitious plan to establish a 20,000-strong international peacekeeping force for Gaza has encountered significant obstacles, with insiders revealing the initiative is struggling to deploy even a small initial contingent. The proposed International Stabilization Force is currently aiming to assemble and deploy an initial group of just 10 to 20 troops, a stark contrast to the original vision.
US military officials and individuals familiar with the plans indicate severe operational delays are affecting the blueprint. Moroccan soldiers, initially scheduled to deploy in June, have had their timeline pushed back by several months. Upon their eventual arrival, these troops are not expected to enter Gaza immediately but will instead undergo training near the Israeli border before commencing limited operations within the Palestinian enclave.
While the administration hopes for future contributions from additional international peacekeepers, the plan to stabilize the region has, for now, been scaled down to a small, delayed security presence awaiting deployment at the border. This slow progress offers little immediate relief to Gaza's 2.1 million residents, who remain amidst the ruins of a prolonged conflict.
Trump's comprehensive 20-point peace plan, launched in October, was envisioned as the start of a "historic dawn of a new Middle East." This vision included substantial financial investment for development projects and was closely linked to real estate aspirations, particularly by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who reportedly saw Gaza's coastal area as prime real estate for luxury resorts. Trump himself has promoted the idea of transforming the war-torn coastline into a Mediterranean "Riviera."
However, the master plan has faltered. Instead of high-end tourist developments, the initiative has resulted in a stalled security force positioned at the border. The original blueprint, overseen by Trump's "Board of Peace," was intended to facilitate a transition from a temporary truce to the complete disarmament of Hamas and a peacekeeping takeover. This has not materialized, as Hamas has refused to surrender its weapons, Israeli strikes have continued post-ceasefire, and promised rebuilding funds have not materialized.
Regional conflicts in Iran and Lebanon have caused nations to freeze troop commitments, further jeopardizing the peace deal. Meanwhile, Gaza is described as rapidly collapsing into an unlivable wasteland. As Israeli forces expand their presence, the population is being compressed into smaller areas, forcing hundreds of thousands into hazardous conditions within damaged buildings or crowded tent cities.
A separate administrative body in Cairo, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, has stated its readiness to assume control once stability returns. This group is working to establish a new police force tasked with disarming Hamas, a plan that hinges on the militants voluntarily surrendering their weapons. Hamas recently announced the dissolution of its governing body and the handover of administrative control to a new technocratic council, but it has not indicated any intention to disarm its military wing. Some regional experts view this move as a potential step toward negotiations, while others dismiss it as a public relations tactic that masks the group's continued dominance on the ground.
Pat Griffiths, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Jerusalem, commented to the Wall Street Journal that the ceasefire in October offered a glimmer of hope, but "it needs to translate into meaningful improvement in the lives of Palestinians in Gaza."