President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan and the New York Declaration on a two-state solution have created an opening for peace in Gaza—though one that is fragile and fraught with danger. These blueprints are wide in scope but light on detail where it matters, including on stabilization support, which must be carefully designed if it is to contribute to longer-term peace in Palestine and Israel.

Trump’s plan announces that the United States, together with its Arab and international partners, will immediately deploy a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza. The ISF, it states, will train and support Palestinian police, help secure borders, stop munitions from entering Gaza, and secure the rapid flow of goods. The plan also announces the transitional governance of Gaza under a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, overseen by an international “Board of Peace.” On October 17th, the US military’s Central Command opened a Civil-Military Coordination Center in Israel to support stabilization efforts, monitor the ceasefire, and assist the flow of international humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance into Gaza. On November 6th, the US formally circulated a draft resolution to the Security Council to authorize the deployment of the ISF.

In this context, the Uniting for a Shared Future (USF) coalition convened in Geneva in late October to discuss the new developments and blueprints for Gaza. This coalition includes 500 Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the fields of politics, security, business, diplomacy, negotiations, media, and civil society who are working together to promote an end to the war based on common principles. Alongside this meeting, a group of 260 high-level regional stakeholders also convened to discuss the situation and the way forward at a discreet conference hosted by the Principles for Peace (P4P) foundation and UCLA in Geneva. Drawing on these deliberations, as well as their reflections on the peace operations and initiatives they have personally led, we believe that international stabilization support in Gaza must meet five tests. Read more