President Donald Trump's plan to stabilize postwar Gaza reportedly has encountered delays as the international peacekeeping force intended to secure the territory after Hamas is removed has yet to fully deploy.
The International Stabilization Force, originally envisioned as a 20,000-member multinational peacekeeping mission, is now expected to begin with a small contingent of about 10 to 20 Moroccan troops, who will first train near Israel's border before conducting limited operations inside Gaza, The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday.
The slower-than-anticipated rollout underscores the challenges facing Trump's Middle East peace initiative, which seeks to end the Israel-Hamas war, eliminate Hamas as a military force, and launch a reconstruction effort backed by international partners.
Under Trump's peace framework, Hamas would disarm and transfer governing authority to a Palestinian technocratic council, Israeli forces would withdraw, and an international peacekeeping force would help maintain security while reconstruction begins.
Progress, however, has stalled.
The Journal reported that Hamas continues to resist disarming despite announcing this week that it would relinquish its governing role in Gaza.
Israeli military operations have continued, while billions of dollars pledged for reconstruction have yet to materialize.
Reuters reported Wednesday that Trump's Board of Peace is pressing ahead with plans for a pilot humanitarian zone inside Gaza regardless of whether Hamas agrees to the next phase of the peace plan.
The proposal would establish secure areas where vetted Palestinian civilians could voluntarily relocate and receive expanded humanitarian assistance under the protection of the future multinational force and a newly trained Palestinian police service.
According to Reuters, participation would be voluntary and overseen by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the technocratic body designated to eventually govern the territory.
The Journal reported that four countries — Albania, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco — are expected to formally commit troops to the stabilization mission, although Indonesia suspended earlier discussions about contributing thousands of peacekeepers following heightened regional instability.
Construction of key support facilities for the peacekeeping force also remains incomplete.
While a logistics hub near the Kerem Shalom crossing is largely finished, a planned mission support site inside Gaza has yet to be built.
Despite the setbacks, Trump administration officials continue to argue the peace initiative remains viable.
The United Arab Emirates has provided about $100 million toward reconstruction efforts, according to The Wall Street Journal, and is backing a planned housing development in Rafah designed to accommodate about 25,000 displaced Gazans once security conditions permit.
Trump has repeatedly argued that lasting peace in Gaza depends on preventing Hamas from reestablishing itself militarily, with international peacekeepers expected to play a central role in securing the enclave once conditions allow for broader reconstruction.