Israel is preparing to deploy an international force in the Gaza Strip starting in May as part of the next phase of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN on Saturday.
The force, expected to include about 5,000 troops from Indonesia, along with dozens of soldiers from Kazakhstan, Morocco, Albania, and Kosovo, could begin operating on May 1, the broadcaster reported. The troops would initially deploy around a Palestinian city being built with support from the United Arab Emirates in the Rafah area in southern Gaza before expanding to other parts of the enclave, the report added.
The broadcaster said military delegations from participating countries are expected to arrive in Israel within two weeks to conduct reconnaissance tours in Gaza ahead of the force’s deployment.