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Proposals for an international security mission mandated by the UN to disarm Hamas in the Gaza Strip are facing increasing opposition after the United Arab Emirates stated it would not take part due to the lack of a well-defined legal structure.

Increasing Global Reservations

Israel have already excluded Turkish involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has declared that his country's forces will not participate. The Azerbaijani government, previously considered as a potential contributor, did not attend a planning meeting in Istanbul and indicated it would not contribute unless a complete truce was established.

The UAE does not yet see a defined structure for the stability force and under such circumstances declines involvement, but backs all diplomatic initiatives towards peace – and stay at the vanguard of humanitarian aid.

Regional Skepticism and Juridical Issues

The UAE's announcement, made by senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in the UAE capital, highlights regional reservations about the terms of a American-proposed resolution already circulated to delegates at the UN in New York. The draft assigns responsibility on a US-directed stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring order in the territory after Israel have withdrawn from the territory.

Regional governments would like greater duties to be assigned to a distinct local civilian police force. Global jurisprudence would also forbid foreign troops from deploying into occupied Palestinian territories unless there was explicit Palestinian consent; otherwise, the mission could be viewed as coercive under international statutes, and potentially reinforcing an unlawful Israeli occupation.

Local Viewpoints and Calls for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan said: “It is essential that the mission be deployed not to stabilise the illegal presence, but to uphold global standards and end it. The force will work as long as it enters the whole disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a clear objective to conclude the presence within the context of a sovereign state of Palestine.”

There is no mention to the occupied territories in the American proposal, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a peaceful resolution, a prospect that Israel opposes.

Ongoing Negotiations and Potential Dangers

In-depth talks on the stabilisation force authority, including its leadership structure, started formally on last week in the UN headquarters, and look likely to be protracted – risking the development of a vacuum in Gaza that may strengthen militant factions.

The US is suggesting that it command the mission although it will not have many personnel involved on the terrain. It has previously effectively assumed command of the distribution of humanitarian aid into the territory from a new civil military coordination centre based in Israel.

Force Mandate and Governance Role

The proposed US resolution outlines the purpose of the security mission as “together with the newly trained and vetted police force to help secure border areas, secure the safety situation in Gaza by guaranteeing the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip including the elimination and prevention of rebuilding the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the permanent removal of weapons from militant factions”.

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

Regional powers including Qatari officials are also worried that this authority is overly broad, and if Hamas is to lay down arms, the group will only do so to local counterparts, likely in the civilian police force, at a time that, from the militant viewpoint, marks the conclusion of Israeli presence.

They also fear the draft mandate extends to granting the mission a governance role in the territory, a task that was to be set aside for a Palestinian expert panel working in conjunction with a reformed local government.

Humanitarian Considerations and Financial Issues

This “interim authority” in Gaza would remain until “the local government has adequately completed its reform program, the approval of which shall be acceptable to the BoP”, the proposal states. It also “underscores the importance” of full humanitarian aid in Gaza, including through the United Nations, the ICRC, and the humanitarian organizations.

However, it allows for the removal of “any group determined to have improperly used such aid”. The wording leaves open the board of peace excluding Unrwa, the organization that the global judicial body has said is the legal provider of aid.

Global Diplomatic Initiatives

France and Saudi representatives are currently advocating for a reference to a Palestinian state to be added in the document. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the US presidential residence on 18 November, and Manal Radwan has stated that a reference to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite.

The Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, met the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Monday to review the authority's function.

Neither the UN nor the 15-member UNSC are assigned a supervisory role over the mission, monitoring the implementation of the resolution, a aspect largely overlooked by the draft text. No details is specified about the funding of this stabilisation mission, which, according to the US officials, should be mostly covered by regional nations, with the Kingdom assuming primary responsibility.

Israel's Demands and Local Situations

Israeli authorities is requesting formal assurances from the US that it be permitted to follow the pattern of Lebanon and reserve the authority to re-enter the territory if it believes disarmament is not taking place at a level or pace it requires.

The Israeli proposal was presented to the former US advisor, Donald Trump’s relative, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss progress on the ceasefire and the envoy was due to appear subsequently the same day.

Only the remains of a small number of the initial 251 captives remain unreturned.

Independently, Israeli officials has been proposing that the Gaza Strip could still be split in two with rebuilding efforts starting in the Israeli-controlled parts of the region. International officials insist that this is no part of the Trump plan.