After months of rising tensions and humanitarian disaster, the U.S. is moving forward with plans for a multinational security mission aimed at bringing a measure of stability to the Gaza Strip. This initiative, being planned with European partners and some Middle Eastern countries, signals a change in the U.S. approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. officials stated that the order in Gaza, the humanitarian mission, and the follow-on reconstruction work are a focus for the U.S. officials.
The mission is expected to function under a UN mandate
The proposals are in the context of the warning made by President Donald Trump that the failure to act decisively in Gaza will put the world on the brink of greater conflict. Trump is believed to have told U.S. and European leaders to move quickly as a means to counter the greater presence of extremist groups in the region.
Responses from the global community have been mixed. Stakeholders argue that the coordinated presence of peacekeepers is needed to stop the already existing disorder and create a situation suitable for peace. On the other hand, critics argue that any placement of foreigners in the area of Gaza will have serious consequences and will provoke an already delicate situation that can be explosive and lead to further loss of control.
The situation in Gaza requires immediate humanitarian aid access, and the mission should not be questioned as a violation of sovereignty. The situation is reminiscent of the Syrian situation. The humanitarian needs are overwhelming, and there is a time moratorium for a state to be established.
This mission requires the collaboration of humanitarian NGOs and CBOs in Gaza
Coordination requires prior groundwork and institutional mechanisms to ensure aid is delivered and flows freely. The civil aid proposed is customary to gather and mobilize necessary aid. This collection process requested of the nations engaged in the conflict is necessary to distribute aid and ensure there is no blockade imposed by other countries.
This is a necessary position and requires considerable effort from the entire mission coalition to mobilize for this aid and ensure it is unrestricted. There is an outline in the mission, and it shows engagement rather than ignorance, which should be sympathy. Caution in the mission stems from those engaged directly in conflict.
Several barriers can stall the movement of aid. Individuals who are not a part of the aid mission may need to work with the mission to ensure there are no disruptions to the mission. All other nations recognized the position and distance required to aid the mission.
The Israeli government has yet to make an official statement on the plan
Although Israel has aimed to prevent Hamas’s power from being reinstated in Gaza, Israel has more likely than not considered the implications of an international operating force on its borders. The Palestinian factions are also split; some elements are welcoming foreign support, while others are not.
All of this, however, does not seem to be the case as the U.S. has indicated a military priority to the region with the latest developments on the Israeli-Gaza border meetings at the UN. Formal proposals are likely to be presented to the Israeli Security Council, which would likely lead to the largest peacekeeping efforts in the region in the contemporary era.
A more active U.S. Foreign Policy in Gaza has the potential to assuage the current humanitarian crisis. This is also a distraction from the imminent conflict that would arise in the region. The hopes of such a mission being successful are dependent on the U.S.’s use of military power and foreign diplomacy, as well as the cooperation of the international community.