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Plans for an multinational security mission authorized by the United Nations to disarm Hamas in Gaza are facing growing opposition after the United Arab Emirates announced it would not take part due to the absence of a well-defined legal framework.

Increasing Global Reservations

Israeli authorities have previously excluded Turkish involvement, and Jordan's King Abdullah has stated that his country's forces will not participate. The Azerbaijani government, previously mooted as a potential contributor, was absent from a planning session in Turkey and said it would not take part unless a complete ceasefire was established.

Emirati officials lacks clarity on a clear framework for the stability force and in this situation will not participate, but backs all political efforts towards resolution – and remain at the vanguard of relief efforts.

Arab Doubts and Legal Issues

The UAE's announcement, made by diplomatic representative Dr Anwar Gargash at a forum in Abu Dhabi, reflects Arab reservations about the provisions of a US-drafted document already circulated to delegates at the UN in New York. The proposal places an onus on a American-led stabilisation force to be the principal means of ensuring order in the territory after Israel have withdrawn from the region.

Regional governments would like greater responsibilities to be given to a separate Palestinian civilian police force. Global jurisprudence would also prohibit external forces from deploying into contested Palestine unless there was clear local approval; without it, the mission could be seen as imposed under UN law, and arguably stabilising an illegal presence.

Palestinian Perspectives and Calls for Definition

A Palestinian American co-author of the ceasefire proposal commented: “It is essential that the force be deployed not to stabilise the unlawful presence, but to uphold international law and end it. The force will succeed as long as it enters the entire disputed land, including the West Bank, at the invitation of Palestine, and has a clear objective to conclude the presence within the context of a independent state of Palestine.”

There is no mention to the occupied territories in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a peaceful resolution, a outcome that Israeli leadership opposes.

Ongoing Negotiations and Potential Dangers

In-depth negotiations on the stabilisation force authority, including its command and control, began officially on Thursday in the UN headquarters, and look likely to be lengthy – risking the emergence of a vacuum in Gaza that may empower militant factions.

The US is suggesting that it lead the mission although it will not have many troops deployed on the ground. It has previously in effect assumed command of the distribution of relief supplies into Gaza from a new logistical hub based in the neighboring country.

Force Objectives and Administrative Function

The draft American document defines the aim of the security mission as “together with the newly trained and screened police force to assist in protecting frontier zones, stabilise the safety situation in Gaza by ensuring the procedure of disarming the territory including the elimination and blocking of reconstructing the militant and offensive infrastructure as well as the permanent removal of weapons from militant factions”.

The mission, reporting to a “board of peace” chaired by the former US president, and not to the United Nations, would be mandated to use “any required actions” to achieve its objectives.

Arab states including Qatari officials are also worried that this authority is too expansive, and if the group is to lay down arms, the faction will only do so to local counterparts, likely in the local law enforcement, at a moment that, from the Hamas perspective, signifies the conclusion of occupation.

They also fear the draft mandate extends to granting the mission a governance function in the territory, a task that was to be set aside for a local expert panel working in cooperation with a reformed local government.

Aid Aspects and Financial Issues

This “transitional governance administration” in Gaza would remain until “the local government has adequately completed its restructuring plan, the approval of which shall be acceptable to the BoP”, the proposal says. It also “emphasizes the importance” of unhindered relief in the territory, including through the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent.

Nonetheless, it opens the door the exclusion of “any organisation found to have misused such assistance”. The wording leaves open the board of peace barring the UN relief agency, the organization that the global judicial body has said is the lawful distributor of aid.

Global Diplomatic Initiatives

France and Saudi Arabia are currently advocating for a reference to a sovereign Palestine to be added in the resolution. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is due in the White House on the specified date, and a Saudi foreign ministry official has said that a mention to a Palestinian state is a requirement.

The Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Monday to review the authority's function.

Not the UN nor the 15 strong UNSC are assigned a supervisory role over the mission, supervising the implementation of the resolution, a point largely ignored by the draft text. No details is specified about the funding of this stabilisation mission, which, according to the Americans, should be largely covered by Gulf states, with the Kingdom taking the lead.

Israeli Requests and Regional Situations

Israel is seeking written guarantees from the United States that it be allowed to follow the pattern of the Lebanese situation and retain the right to re-enter the territory if it believes demilitarization is not occurring at a level or speed it demands.

The Israeli proposal was put to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s relative, and the American diplomat, Steve Witkoff. The advisor was in the Israeli capital on this week to review progress on the truce and Witkoff was scheduled to appear subsequently the that day.

Just the remains of a small number of the initial hundreds of captives are still not recovered.

Independently, Israel has been suggesting that the territory could yet be divided in two parts with rebuilding efforts starting in the Israel occupied areas of the region. International officials insist that this is no part of the Trump plan.