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Up to 500 Moroccan troops trained for Gaza force, waiting on Israeli approvals
A Board of Peace official says Morocco is ready to be first into Gaza with the international stabilisation force, but a base, water projects and deployment are held up until after Israel's election.
Key points
- Up to 500 Moroccan personnel have trained in Morocco for the International Stabilization Force in Gaza.
- A planned ISF base near the Yellow Line for about 150 personnel awaits Israeli approvals.
- The Board of Peace hopes work will speed up after Israel votes on 27 October.
Up to 500 Moroccan soldiers and police have trained for the International Stabilization Force planned for Gaza, an official with the US-backed Board of Peace said on Monday, but their deployment, and much of the reconstruction work meant to go with it, is still waiting on approvals from Israel.
The official said training began in Morocco around late August with officers and instructors, followed by the wider contingent, and was run by the US-led force. The official could not confirm that it was fully complete. Morocco committed in February to sending personnel, the first Arab country to do so publicly, and is expected to be the first to deploy. Albania, Kazakhstan and Kosovo have also agreed to contribute troops.
No date has been set. Construction of a proposed base near the Yellow Line for about 150 personnel is delayed pending Israeli sign-off. Water and sanitation projects have also not moved as hoped despite Israel’s support in principle, and the official warned of health and environmental risks, including spread into southern Israel.
“We need to move beyond constructive conversations to constructive implementation,” the official said. “We’re still advancing the plan. We’re moving forward.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not allow reconstruction until Hamas is disarmed, with one exception. “The only thing we’ve agreed to is an ‘Emirati bubble’,” he said, referring to a UAE-backed compound for displaced Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled part of Gaza, where progress has been modest. The Board hopes things will speed up after Israel’s election on 27 October.
Aid is also under strain. The World Food Programme said on Monday it would stop monthly assistance to 500,000 people in Gaza because of funding shortfalls, leaving about 1.1 million still receiving food or cash aid, according to its country director, Shaun Hughes.