US officials are in preliminary “conversations” about options for stabilizing post-war Gaza, including a proposal for the Pentagon to help fund either a multinational force or a Palestinian peacekeeping team, Politico reported.
The options being considered would not involve US troops on the ground, according to two Defense Department officials and two other US officials, all granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomatic and military negotiations. Instead, DOD funding would go toward the needs of the security force and complement assistance from other countries, said the report.
“We are working with partners on various scenarios for interim governance and security structures in Gaza once the crisis recedes,” a senior administration official said.
“We’ve had a number of conversations with both the Israelis and our partners about key elements for the day after in Gaza when the time is right.”
It could be weeks or months before Washington and its partners approve any plan, especially since regional players want to see a commitment to a two-state solution before seriously engaging with the options. There are also questions about the viability of training a potential Palestinian-led force in time to maintain order in Gaza, which has been decimated after five months of brutal fighting, according to Politico.
The talks include the White House, Pentagon, State Department and their foreign counterparts about what a potential day-after security force would look like, the four officials confirmed.
Under initial plans being drawn up, DOD would provide funding for some type of security force that would not include US troops on the ground in Gaza, according to the two DOD officials. One of the officials added that aid could be used for reconstruction, infrastructure, humanitarian assistance and other needs.
The Pentagon would likely need to shift funds from elsewhere in the department to pay for the plan. American assistance would supplement contributions from other countries, per the two US officials.
As for a potential Palestinian-led peacekeeping team, it’s still unclear who would train and equip its members, which could include some of the nearly 20,000 security personnel backed by the Palestinian Authority.
