International force seeking UN mandate to 'enforce' Gaza ceasefire

The US is seeking to formalise an international force aimed at enforcing Gaza's demilitarisation and providing transitional security to the enclave through a UN mandate.

A draft resolution has been sent to several UN Security Council members, with the US aiming to establish the International Security Force (ISF) by January would and remain operational until the end of 2027, according to Axios.

One official quoted in the report said that the ISF would be an "enforcement force and not a peacekeeping force", with the document giving it a mandate to demilitarise the enclave - effectively making it responsible for disarming Hamas and other armed Palestinian factions active in the enclave.

The broad mandate also includes securing Gaza's borders, protecting the populace, and training a Palestinian police force.

The document also outlines the role of the so-called Board of Peace, which is set to transition Gaza's governance away from Hamas toward a technocratic government responsible for day-to-day civil affairs.

The ISF would act in consultation with the Board of Peace, which US President Donald Trump has previously said he would chair, and in consultation with Egypt and Israel.

In comments made to reporters at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres confirmed that the Security Council is discussing the draft proposal.

Guterres also said he is "deeply concerned about the continued violations of the ceasefire in Gaza", adding that "they must stop and all parties must abide by the decisions of the first phase of the peace agreement".

Several outlets have reported details of the draft, with Haaretz saying it has been submitted to the UN Security Council. The Jerusalem Post, meanwhile, reported that the proposal would be submitted in the coming days.

As the US plans for Gaza's post-war security system, Israel has continued striking the east of Khan Younis with artillery, according to Al Jazeera, the shelling reportedly beyond the Yellow line demarcating Israeli-occupied Gaza.

Ten Palestinians were registered by Gaza's hospitals in the past 24 hours as dead, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa, two of them "new victims", while the remaining eight were recovered bodies.

Five fishermen have also been detained by Israel while trawling off Gaza City's shore, Al Jazeera reported, citing the local fishermen's union.

The UN agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that 75,000 displaced Palestinians were sheltering in over 100 UNRWA buildings across the enclave.

"UNRWA teams work tirelessly to keep shelters safe and dignified, providing water, sanitation, waste collection, and hygiene support every day," the agency said in a post on X.

Across the occupied West Bank, settler attacks against Palestinians continue, with Wafa reporting attacks in villages around Nablus, the town of al-Khader south of Bethlehem, and the town of Rammun east of Ramallah.

Israeli forces also conducted raids against Bedouin communities near Jerusalem, and demolished homes near Ramallah and Jericho.