Israel's approval of ISF deployment in Gaza marks key step in reconstuction efforts - analysis

BySETH J. FRANTZMANJULY 27, 2026 22:10Updated: JULY 27, 2026 22:51The Board of Peace, established in the wake of the US-backed ceasefire in Gaza in October, said there are important developments in Gaza this week. This is linked to Israel agreeing that the International Stabilization Force, a key part of the ceasefire and peace proposal, will enter Gaza.Israel has approved the principles of the 20-point plan that the Trump administration secured in October 2025.What this means is that the IDF will continue to control the Yellow Line in Gaza, which is around half of Gaza. Recent reports say that Israel actually controls up to seventy percent of Israel. Hamas controls the rest and continues to control the lives of 2 million people.This keeps the people imprisoned under Hamas rule. They are unable to leave the small area controlled by Hamas. The entry of ISF could be part of the larger process that the White House wants to see happen, meaning reconstruction and enabling people in Gaza to live under a technocratic committee.The Board of Peace was inaugurated in January. However, its work appeared to be mostly on hold as the war in Iran kicked off. Nevertheless, it has continued to work with countries that are contributing to the ISF. Kosovo and Albania sent personnel to examine what will happen next.Officials listen to presentations on the work of the Gaza Executive Board during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on February 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Image)ISF coordinates with IDF, enter with approval of Israeli officialsMorocco has agreed to contribute. Kazakhstan is also expected to contribute.Israel wants to see Hamas disarmed in Gaza. The Cabinet approved immunity for the ISF for the week under the "Immunities for International Organizations" law.The ISF will coordinate with the IDF, and its entry will come with the approval of Israel’s prime minister, minister of defense, and foreign minister. Israel only wants countries that have peace or have normalized ties with Israel to operate in Gaza. It also doesn’t want countries that are hostile, even if those countries may have peace with Israel.The BoP noted the “very important development in the process to deliver peace, prosperity, and development in Gaza. The ISF serves a critical role in the scaling of humanitarian services and reconstruction for the people of Gaza. These efforts will move forward with concrete actions over the coming months to introduce a new model of governance, security, and economic opportunity.”The pilot program in Gaza appears to look like a lot of other borders of Israel. For instance, there is a pilot program in Lebanon with the Lebanese army. In Syria, Israel has appeared to reject any Syrian attempt to coordinate on security.The US has been involved in bringing about ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon and also reducing Israel’s strikes in Syria. The White House has made it clear it wants to see peace.Nickolay E. Mladenov, who is working as the high representative of the Board of Peace and is supposed to be closely involved in Gaza, wrote that he welcomes “steps by Israel that enable the deployment of the ISF in Gaza, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803. It is a critical part of the agreed framework for stabilizing Gaza, supporting demilitarization, and enabling the transition to effective Palestinian transitional administration under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.”The NCAG is the Palestinian technical committee that is supposed to run Gaza.Hamas is supposed to be disarmed and give up its governance of Gaza. Hamas has claimed it would give up governance, but it also elected a new leader recently and does not seem serious about handing over power in Gaza.Regional countries such as Egypt want to see progress in Gaza. Saudi Arabia also wants to see progress. The US wants Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords. However, Riyadh wants to see positive developments on the Palestinian issue.The success of the ISF in Gaza could be key to these next phases of peace in the region. Israel has appeared skeptical of the plans for Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to the US on Monday. The Trump administration will likely want to discuss Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and other issues.Hurdles in Gaza, logistics, education, healthcareThere are hurdles in Gaza. Equipment and material will need to enter Gaza as part of logistics operations to enable success. This will also need to dovetail with aid and also potential reconstruction in a pilot zone.The concept might be to allow a few people to leave the Hamas area and move to a secure, Hamas-free area. That way, people can begin to have education and health care free from Hamas. People in Gaza have been held under Hamas rule since an illegal coup by Hamas in 2007.There are other steps as well. Palestinian police will need to be trained and enabled to enter Gaza. Previous reports said Egypt and the EU might be involved with the police. The EU already trains Palestinian police in the West Bank.Israel is wary of any connections of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. Any connections would enable the PA to unite the Palestinian areas and work towards a state. Israel’s officials currently oppose a Palestinian state.Israel is cooperating with the BoP. Things take time. Israel also has elections in several months. There are many challenges ahead.There are also issues related to the international community and securing additional commitments for the ISF from various countries. A few dozen or even 200 personnel in the ISF is only the beginning if one wants to actually secure areas in Gaza.There is a relatively new logistics area on the border of Gaza, called LSA Endurance, that was established in the last few months. In mid-June, Kosovo’s Charge d’Affaires to Israel, Ines Demiri, visited the new logistics hub.The BoP noted that Demiri “inspected the construction progress at Life Support Area Endurance, which will serve as a vital waypoint for ISF to refit while supporting restoration & humanitarian efforts.”This is another piece of the puzzle in supporting the next step in Gaza. Each month brings new progress.Follow us on Google