US is planning to fund peacekeeping force in post-war Gaza — report

White House, Pentagon, State Department, and their international counterparts are in early discussions about forming a post-war force with no plans for “American boots” on ground, Politico reports.

The Pentagon has been in early talks that includes a proposal for the US to fund either a “multinational force” or a “Palestinian peacekeeping team” in besieged Gaza, according to the US news outlet Politico.

It cited two unnamed defence and other top US officials as saying that none of the options on the table would involve American troops in the territory. The US has previously emphasised that the plan to deliver maritime aid to Gaza via a temporary pier wouldn’t involve boots on the ground either.

“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,” Politico quoted one senior official as saying.

The report said it could be months before Washington and its allies approach the stage of approving a plan, especially as regional stakeholders have been calling for a commitment to a two-state solution.

“Israel is the long pole in the tent,” a US Department of Defense official told the news outlet, noting that Israel “has their hands full with other things.”

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