Lawrence Freedman
As Donald Trump struggles to make good on his campaign promise to end the Russo-Ukraine War his main foreign policy achievement – ending the war in Gaza - is coming under increasing strain. For a supposed ceasefire there has been no shortage of violence. Last week, two Hamas fighters emerged from a tunnel shaft in Rafah and launched a rocked propelled grenade at an Israeli armoured personnel carrier. Four soldiers were wounded, one seriously. Soldiers returned fire and killed one of the fighters. Following this the Israeli Defence forces (IDF) targeted a senior Hamas commander with an air strike. Six Palestinians, including two children, were killed.
Despite this ‘problem’, as it was described by Trump, the President still insists that he is determined to move soon to the second stage of his peace plan. The UN Security Council resolution backing his plan was passed on 17 November. It agreed that there should be an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) with a mandate to ‘demilitarize’ the Gaza Strip, secure its borders, and protect civilians and aid operations. The other key element will be a Committee of Palestinian technocrats to provide governance, with a complex oversight structure involving a management committee and then a Board of Peace.
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