UAE 'unlikely' to join International Stabilisation Force in Gaza

Dr Anwar Gargash says no clear framework in place for force

A senior UAE official has said the UAE is unlikely to join the International Stabilisation Force in Gaza due to the absence of a clear framework.

Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, said on Monday that the UAE does "not yet see a clear framework for the stability force".

"Under such circumstances, we will probably not participate in such a force," he said in his opening remarks at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate. "But we will continue to support all political efforts."

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The International Stabilisation Force is a key pillar for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The US has advocated for a force from Muslim-majority countries.

The UAE was considered to be among the countries that could be part of the force, while other Arab nations, including Jordan, said from the start that they would not join.

The establishment of the force was part of an agreement laid out by US President Donald Trump that produced the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It took effect on October 10, ending two years of fighting in Gaza.

The fragile, US-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 10. AFP

The Gaza peace plan is "imperfect, but significant", Dr Gargash said. The US-mediated agreement also secured the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in return for the freedom of almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails.

The next phase of the plan is focused on the future governance of Gaza. "The plan requires all of us, led by the United States, to deliver real change for the people of Gaza and for all Palestinians and to chart a clear horizon towards a two-state solution," Dr Gargash said.

"The Palestinians have suffered enough. They deserve justice and peace and a state in which they live side by side with a secure Israel."

Dr Gargash also said the Gaza peace plan must be the "beginning, not the end", describing it as the "only sustainable path to peace and a viable Palestinian state".

He said the region was standing at a "decisive point after decades of conflict and despair", with a "rare chance" to chart a new path to long-term stability and peace. "The region remains fragile, yet there is reason for cautious optimism," he told delegates.

"Extremist policies and maximalist demands are recipes for endless violence. Nowhere is this clearer than in Gaza."

The Middle East has a historic opportunity to "address the deep grievances extremists have exploited for decades", Dr Gargash added.