US Accelerates Formation of International Stabilization Force for Gaza

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The United States has begun a rapid diplomatic and operational drive to assemble the newly authorized International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza, launching the effort mere hours after the UN Security Council overwhelmingly approved its deployment.

A senior American official told i24NEWS that the first ISF troops are expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip in early 2026, marking the beginning of what will be the most significant international security presence in Gaza’s history. The mission forms a central component of the U.S.-led post-war architecture intended to secure the territory, contain resurgent terror threats, and support the reconstruction and civil governance process.

According to the official, five countries have already expressed initial interest in contributing forces, though he declined to identify them. Another U.S. official involved in the discussions said Azerbaijan and Indonesia currently appear the most likely to send troops, with the evolving force expected to integrate infantry, engineering, intelligence, and policing units specifically structured for Gaza’s stabilization challenges.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, the official noted that preparations remain at an early stage. Training for the multinational deployment has not yet begun, and substantial funding commitments are still required. The ISF will require extensive logistics, a major operational headquarters, and coordination with international reconstruction and humanitarian agencies.

A diplomatic source told i24NEWS and The Jerusalem Post that the U.S. has been approaching several Arab states, alongside European partners, to support the mission both financially and logistically. Washington believes broad participation is essential to granting the force legitimacy and ensuring long-term stability once deployed.

Danon: ISF Is Not a UN Force — It Is a Tool to Demilitarize Gaza

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told The Jerusalem Post that he does not view the ISF as a UN-led force or a break from Israel’s security doctrine. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to strengthen a core Israeli objective: “complete disarmament and the prevention of Hamas rearming.”

Danon described the mission as a necessary component of post-war arrangements aimed at the long-term dismantling of Hamas’s military infrastructure, speaking just after the UN Security Council approved the U.S.-drafted resolution Monday evening with 13 votes in favor and abstentions from Russia and China.

The UNSC’s five permanent members — the U.S., UK, Russia, China, and France — were joined by ten rotating members: Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia.

The U.S.-led ISF is envisioned as a stabilizing pillar of Gaza’s future: preventing the resurgence of terror groups, supporting the reestablishment of civil governance, and securing key areas essential for reconstruction.

If current timelines hold, the first multinational forces will arrive in Gaza in early 2026, inaugurating a new era of broad international involvement in the territory’s security and post-war recovery.

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