Israel is preparing to deploy an international force in the Gaza Strip starting in May as part of the next phase of a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a report by Israel’s public broadcaster KAN published on March 14.
The force, expected to include about 5,000 troops from Indonesia, along with dozens of soldiers from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania, and Kosovo, could begin operating on May 1, the broadcaster reported.
The troops would initially deploy around a Palestinian city being built with support from the United Arab Emirates in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip before expanding to other parts of the enclave, the report added.
The broadcaster said military delegations from participating countries are expected to arrive in Israel within two weeks to conduct reconnaissance tours in Gaza ahead of the force’s deployment.
The force would later expand its presence inside areas near what Israeli media refer to as the “yellow line,” a provisional boundary inside Gaza where Israeli forces temporarily withdrew under the ceasefire agreement separating Israeli-controlled zones from areas where Palestinians are allowed to stay.
The report also said hundreds of foreign troops are expected to travel to Jordan next month for training before entering Gaza as part of the international force.
On Feb. 9, the Israeli broadcaster reported that preparations had begun for the arrival of thousands of Indonesian soldiers as part of the stabilization force envisioned in Trump’s plan for ending the Gaza war.
