United Arab Emirates Refuses to Participate in Gazan Stabilisation Force Lacking Defined Juridical Structure

Proposals for an multinational security mission authorized by the UN to disarm Hamas in the Gaza Strip are encountering increasing opposition after the United Arab Emirates announced it would not take part due to the absence of a clear legal framework.

Growing International Concerns

Israel have previously ruled out Turkey involvement, and the Jordanian King Abdullah has stated that Jordanian troops will not participate. Azerbaijan, once considered as a possible participant, did not attend a preparatory meeting in Turkey and said it would not take part unless a complete ceasefire was in place.

The UAE does not yet see a defined framework for the stabilisation mission and in this situation declines involvement, but backs all diplomatic efforts towards resolution – and remain at the vanguard of relief efforts.

Arab Doubts and Juridical Concerns

The Emirati decision, made by senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, reflects regional reservations about the provisions of a American-proposed resolution already circulated to diplomats at the UN in New York. The draft places an onus on a American-led security mission to be the primary means of ensuring security in the territory after Israeli forces have withdrawn from the territory.

Regional governments would prefer greater responsibilities to be given to a separate local civilian police force. International law would also prohibit external forces from deploying into occupied Palestinian territories unless there was clear Palestinian consent; without it, the force could be viewed as coercive under UN law, and potentially stabilising an unlawful Israeli occupation.

Palestinian Perspectives and Calls for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the ceasefire proposal said: “It is critical that the force be deployed not to stabilise the illegal Israeli occupation, but to enforce international law and end it. The mission will succeed as long as it operates in the whole disputed land, including the occupied territories, at the request of Palestine, and has a defined goal to conclude the presence within the framework of a sovereign Palestinian state.”

The draft contains no reference to the occupied territories in the American proposal, or to a sovereign Palestine, or a two-state solution, a outcome that Israeli leadership opposes.

Ongoing Negotiations and Possible Risks

In-depth talks on the mission authority, including its command and control, started officially on last week in the UN headquarters, and appear to be lengthy – potentially creating the development of a vacuum in the strip that may empower Hamas.

The US is suggesting that it lead the force although it will not have many personnel deployed on the terrain. It has already effectively assumed command of the distribution of relief supplies into the territory from a recently established logistical hub based in the neighboring country.

Mission Objectives and Governance Role

The proposed US resolution defines the purpose of the security mission as “together with the newly trained and vetted police force to assist in protecting border areas, secure the safety situation in the region by guaranteeing the procedure of disarming the territory including the destruction and blocking of reconstructing the military terror and hostile facilities as well as the lasting decommissioning of arms from non-state armed groups”.

The force, reporting to a “board of peace” led by Donald Trump, and not to the United Nations, would be required to use “all necessary measures” to fulfill its goals.

Regional powers including Qatar are also concerned that this mandate is overly broad, and if Hamas is to disarm, the faction will solely do so to fellow Palestinians, likely in the civilian police force, at a moment that, from the Hamas perspective, signifies the end of Israeli presence.

They also fear the proposed authority extends to giving the mission a governance function in the territory, a task that was to be set aside for a local expert panel working in cooperation with a restructured local government.

Humanitarian Aspects and Financial Questions

This “transitional governance administration” in the strip would stay until “the local government has satisfactorily completed its reform program, the satisfaction of which shall be acceptable to the board of peace”, the draft states. It also “underscores the importance” of unhindered relief in the territory, including through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent.

However, it opens the door the exclusion of “any organisation found to have improperly used such aid”. The wording leaves open the council barring Unrwa, the organization that the international court of justice has said is the lawful provider of aid.

Global Diplomatic Efforts

France and Saudi representatives are currently pressing for a mention to a sovereign Palestine to be included in the document. The Saudi leader, 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 PA chair, Mahmoud Abbas, met the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in the French capital on Monday to review the PA role.

Not the United Nations nor the 15-member security council are assigned a oversight function over the mission, supervising the implementation of the resolution, a aspect mostly ignored by the draft text. No details is outlined about the funding of this stabilisation mission, which, according to the US officials, should be mostly covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom taking the lead.

Israel's Demands and Regional Situations

Israeli authorities is seeking written guarantees from the US that it be permitted to emulate the model of the Lebanese situation and retain the authority to return to the territory if it considers demilitarization is not occurring at a level or pace it demands.

The request was put to Jared Kushner, the ex-president's son-in-law, and the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Kushner was in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss developments on the truce and Witkoff was scheduled to arrive subsequently the same day.

Only the bodies of four of the original 251 Israeli hostages are still not recovered.

Separately, Israeli officials has been suggesting that the Gaza Strip could yet be divided in two with rebuilding efforts starting in the Israeli-controlled areas of the region. Western diplomats insist that this is not part of the Trump plan.