Plans for the Gaza International Stabilization Force (ISF) have stalled as troop pledges from five nations have not materialized, while efforts to solidify a fragile ceasefire have faltered amidst continued Israeli territorial seizures and strikes that have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the ceasefire was declared.
The 20,000-strong force, announced at the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in February, was intended to ensure “future prosperity and enduring peace” after the Israel-Hamas war, according to U.S. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who was tapped to lead it.
Three months after its announcement, the American general has no force to command, as none of the five countries that pledged troops have delivered significant contributions.
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The most significant setback to the planned force occurred about a week after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, when Indonesia placed its commitment of 8,000 troops on indefinite hold.
Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin stated last week that the suspension was due to a perceived lack of commitment from a "distracted Washington," noting, “we have not yet received any implementation guidelines.”
Sjamsoeddin added that “new dynamics have emerged,” explaining, “Because the intensity of the conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces remains very high, the BoP has tended to be left behind. Since the BoP has been left behind, the ISF has also been left behind.”
Indonesia’s pledge was by far the largest of the group, which also includes Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania, with 1,000 troops initially slated for April and the remainder for June.
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Domestic issues in Indonesia have also influenced the decision, according to Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, director of the Indonesia-Middle East/North Africa desk at Jakarta’s Center for Economic and Law Studies.
Rakhmat noted that the Iran war is widely unpopular in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, and that the economy is suffering from soaring prices as a direct result of the conflict.
He also reported widespread skepticism of the Board of Peace among the populace, stating, “If you talk to the people on the street, I don’t think they believe that the Board of Peace will actually help the people of Gaza.”
Concerns about deploying troops to the Middle East while the domestic economy falters are significant, especially after Indonesia lost four peacekeepers in the United Nations mission in Lebanon during fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has further soured public opinion on such international commitments.
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Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian defense minister appointed director of the Board of Peace by Trump, stated on May 21 at the U.N. that the international force could not begin operations until a second phase of the ceasefire was agreed upon and implemented, requiring Hamas to disarm and Israel to begin to withdraw.
Mladenov has attributed the deadlock to Hamas, declaring its disarmament “non-negotiable” and asserting it is impeding progress on other fronts, including Israel’s withdrawal and reconstruction.
He stated in Jerusalem this month, “You cannot build a future with armed groups running the streets, hiding in tunnels and stockpiling weapons,” and added, “You cannot deliver reconstruction with militias on every corner.”
Hamas, however, maintains that Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, thereby obstructing its further implementation, and has accused Mladenov of siding with Israel.
Local health officials report that Israeli strikes have killed more than 880 Palestinians since the ceasefire, with Israel claiming these actions were responses to truce violations.
An Egyptian official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Hamas is demanding Israel withdraw from areas seized since the ceasefire began, a condition many pledging nations require before sending troops.
Israel currently controls approximately 60% of Gaza, having seized more territory since the ceasefire was declared.
Kazakhstan has limited its support for the stabilization force to a “humanitarian component,” offering medical units with a field hospital, while Albania’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Arben Kingji, confirmed participation in “reconnaissance activities” but no troop deployment beyond a few for headquarters staff.
Kosovo expects to send 20 troops and was in the “final phase of preparations” in April, and Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita pledged to deploy “high-level military officers to the joint military command of the ISF” at the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting.
Despite Indonesia’s delays, Rakhmat suggested that President Prabowo Subianto, a former army general, seeks to elevate Indonesia’s global standing and avoid jeopardizing economic ties with the U.S., making a complete withdrawal from the plan unlikely.