The proposal to deploy an International Stabilisation Force, comprising Arab and Muslim troops, to Gaza has sparked intense debate and raised critical questions about its feasibility and potential repercussions. A key concern is how these forces would respond if confronted with Israeli fire, given the region’s volatile history. This scenario is not merely hypothetical; UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, such as those from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), have faced Israeli strikes in recent years. While Irish and Italian troops demonstrated restraint in such situations, the response of Egyptian or Jordanian soldiers remains uncertain, despite their countries’ peace treaties with Israel. These agreements are primarily managed by high-ranking officials, as public sentiment and rank-and-file soldiers in these nations harbor deep hostility toward Israel due to its occupation of Palestinian territories. The killing of two Egyptian soldiers during an exchange of fire with Israel in May 2024 underscores the risks involved.
‘A rock and a hard place:’ Arab peacekeepers will face pitfalls and perils in Gaza
