The Framework Is Not Clear, The UAE's Participation In The International Forces In Gaza Is Not Certain

The ruins of the Gaza Strip building. (Wikimedia Commons/UN OCHA)

JAKARTA - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not confirmed its certainty of joining the International Stabilization Forces (ISF) mission in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, due to unclear working shells.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's diplomatic adviser, Dr. Anwar Gargash said on Monday the UAE "has not seen a clear framework for stability forces".

"In such circumstances, we may not be participating in such troops," he said in his opening speech at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate.

"But we will continue to support all political efforts," he added.

International Stabilization forces are the main pillar for the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The United States has advocated the formation of troops from Muslim-majority countries.

The UAE is considered a country that can be part of the force, while other Arab countries, including Jordan, have not joined from the start.

The formation of the troops is part of an agreement set by US President Donald Trump that resulted in a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The agreement came into force on October 10, ending two years of fighting in Gaza.

Gaza's peace plan is "inperfect, but significant", said Dr. Gargash.

The US-mediated agreement also guarantees the release of Israeli hostages detained in Gaza in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prisons.

The next phase of this plan is focused on future Gaza governance.

"This plan requires all of us, led by the United States, to realize real changes for the Gaza people and all Palestinians, as well as map out a clear horizon towards a two-state solution," said Dr. Gargash.

"The Palestinian people have suffered enough. They are entitled to justice and peace, as well as a country where they coexist with a safe Israel," he said.

Dr. Gargash also said Gaza's peace plan should be "the beginning, not the end", and described it as "the only sustainable path to viable Palestinian peace and state".

He stressed that the area was at a "determining point after decades of conflict and despair", with a " rare opportunity" to map a new path to long-term stability and peace.

"This area is still fragile, but there is a reason for careful optimism," he told the delegates.

"Extremist policies and maximal demands are recipes for endless violence. This is most clearly seen in Gaza," he said.

The Middle East has a historic opportunity to "overcome deep complaints that extremists have exploited for decades", added Dr. Gargash.