Israel proposes Arab multinational force for Gaza: Report

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant proposed the idea of establishing a multinational military force of troops from Arab countries to escort humanitarian aid into Gaza, Axios is reporting citing senior Israeli officials.

“Such a move will build a governing body in the enclave that is not Hamas and will address Israel’s growing problem with the U.S. when it comes to the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” a senior Israeli official said.

The proposal is for an Arab force to stay in Gaza and be responsible for securing the temporary floating dock the US will build off the enclave’s coast, which will then be used to secure and get humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

An Arab official told Axios that Arab countries are not ready to send troops, but may consider doing so to contribute to a peacekeeping force after the war is over.

A US official told Axios that Egypt is the main country considering the idea.

The report comes after another report from Politico, which stated that the US was in early discussions to fund a multinational peacekeeping force in Gaza after the war is over.