Trump's Planned Gaza Peacekeeping Force Shrinks from 20,000 to Just 20

Donald Trump’s ambitious security framework for the Gaza Strip is fracturing as regional instability reduces a planned 20,000-strong international peacekeeping force to an initial deployment of just 10 to 20 soldiers.

The massive shortfall highlights the systemic collapse of the U.S. administration's post-war stabilization strategy.

A Drastic Scaling Down

The International Stabilization Force (ISF), designed as the security anchor of the 20-point peace plan enacted last October, is currently struggling to field a nominal group of Moroccan troops, according to The Wall Street Journal.

This initial contingent, originally scheduled to arrive in June, faces months of delays and will be restricted to training inside Israel near the Kerem Shalom crossing rather than entering Gaza immediately.

The stark contrast between the envisioned multi-national division and a handful of border-bound personnel exposes the severe limitations of the current U.S. approach to ending conflicts.

While the White House prioritized sweeping diplomatic announcements, the complex operational details required to guarantee long-term security remain unresolved.

Regional Escalation Derails Troop Pledges

Wider geopolitical conflicts have severely eroded the international appetite to supply personnel for the stabilization mission.

Indonesia, a major contributor to global peacekeeping operations that had initially weighed sending thousands of troops, officially froze its involvement in March due to regional volatility.

The decision followed cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that killed four Indonesian United Nations peacekeepers.

While Albania, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco remain on track to sign formal agreements, the overall security architecture has completely stalled.

Political Impasse and Funding Droughts

The underlying diplomatic roadmap has also stalled following the agreement's initial phase.

Hamas continues to refuse demands to disarm its military wing despite expressing a willingness to transfer administrative control to a Cairo-based Palestinian technocratic council.

Concurrently, ongoing Israeli military operations have resulted in over 1,000 deaths since the ceasefire took effect, preventing any meaningful reconstruction from starting.

Financial backing has similarly evaporated, with the Board of Peace securing only a tiny fraction of the estimated $17 billion pledged by international donors.

Infrastructure at a Standstill

Logistical preparations reflect the broader stagnation of the peace process.

While a primary logistics hub inside Israel is largely complete, construction has yet to begin on the critical Mission Support Site inside the Palestinian territory.

Compounding the delays, local security incidents continue to block ground operations.

In May, Hamas personnel turned back a team of Gazan land surveyors at a checkpoint, preventing them from assessing a planned United Arab Emirates-funded housing development in Rafah.