France is advancing an initiative aimed at establishing an “International Stabilization Mission” that would replace the IDF in Gaza and work to disarm Hamas after the war ends, according to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Times of Israel.

The proposal aims to operationalize an internationally-backed declaration from July calling for a two-state solution, the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual transfer of internal security in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.

The proposal envisions several states leading the transitional force and specifically names Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as preferred candidates.

The draft “outlines a pragmatic pathway to deploy — in a short timeframe — a UN-mandated, regionally-led temporary stabilization mission in Palestine as provided for in the New York Declaration, once the environment is sufficiently permissive.”

The New York Declaration was cosponsored by France and Saudi Arabia in July and was subsequently endorsed by Arab countries, including Qatar and Egypt, before being enshrined in a UN General Assembly resolution earlier this month.

The declaration stated that signatories “support the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission upon invitation by the Palestinian Authority and under the aegis of the United Nations and in line with UN principles.”

“This mission, which could evolve depending on the needs, would provide protection to the Palestinian civilian population, support transfer of internal security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, provide capacity building support for the Palestinian State and its security forces, and security guarantees for Palestine and Israel, including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement, in full respect of their sovereignty,” the New York Declaration added.

The French proposal for the International Stabilization Mission, obtained by The Times of Israel, gets more specific about the mandate and scope of the mission, serving as a potential precursor for a UN Security Council resolution that would establish the force.

The draft states that the force would ideally take the form of a United Nations peacekeeping operation (PKO) or a special political mission (SPM), which would be officially neutral, have more internationally legitimacy and operate under a clear set of principles.

However, establishing a lower-level, ad hoc Multinational Mission led and commanded by specific nations would allow for faster deployment, as it requires fewer approvals, and is more likely to be accepted by the parties on the ground, the proposal states.

The mission would be funded by voluntary donors, such as Gulf countries, through a dedicated trust fund, rather than through mandatory contributions, the draft says.

Notably, the proposal suggests that the mission could be deployed before an end to the war in Gaza, but it specifies that securing a ceasefire agreement ahead of time is “most preferable.”

The draft envisions a two-phased deployment, ideally beginning after a ceasefire is reached, with the objectives of the force stated as “ceasefire monitoring, protection to the Palestinian civilian population, gradual disarmament of Hamas and facilitation of humanitarian access and delivery of basic services in coordination with the PA and UN agencies.”

In phase two, which is characterized as medium-to-long-term, the international force will focus on “capacity building support” for a future Palestinian state, drawing lessons from similar UN missions in Kosovo and East Timor.

The force will support the transfer of internal security to the PA, coordinating with existing initiatives to train Palestinian police, the draft says, referencing ongoing programs led by Egypt and Jordan to ready thousands of PA security force members for deployment in Gaza

The stabilization mission will also assist preparations for Palestinian elections across Gaza and the West Bank and coordinate reconstruction efforts in the Strip.

As for the scope of the force, the French proposal says it will initially be deployed in Gaza only.

“Limiting the mandate of this mission in Gaza in the long term could however lead to a lasting separation between Gaza and the West Bank,” the proposal warns, arguing in favor of eventual extension of the deployment to the latter territory.

However, such a move would be “subject to political agreement and operational feasibility, given sensitive issues such as settler violence and the presence of Israeli forces,” the proposal states.

The above was the only mention of Israel in the two-page proposal. Israel could well be a roadblock to the plan, given that Jerusalem has been adamant in its opposition to a PA role in Gaza, let alone letting an international force operate in the West Bank.

Any international force will likely have to coordinate and deconflict with the IDF, and while the French draft is not final, its omission of details on the international force’s relationship with the Israeli army appeared glaring.

Qatar’s involvement in the security mission could also face pushback from Jerusalem, though officials familiar with the proposal argue Doha’s role will be essential in keeping Hamas at bay.

Still, its explicit mention of Hamas disarmament appeared to go further than the US-backed plan being crafted by former British prime minister Tony Blair, which was obtained and published last week by The Times of Israel.

The Blair proposal focuses more exclusively on the establishment of a transitional governing authority in Gaza. It does highlight a goal of advancing the “disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR),” but it doesn’t mention Hamas by name.

The French proposal is also more explicit about the force being a precursor to a two-state solution, which Arab countries have repeatedly asserted is critical for their involvement. Paris appears keen on taking Arab allies’ stances into account in its proposal, while Blair has also been trying to appeal to the US and Israel, who are far less enthusiastic, if not hostile, to the idea of establishing a Palestinian state.

Without US support, the French proposal has no chance of getting through the UN Security Council.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a Sunday interview on CBS’s “Meet the Press” that he has been engaging the US and Blair regarding Paris’s proposal.

He argued that his decision to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming week was critical to getting Arab countries on board to contribute to the security mission needed to disarm Hamas.

Macron offered some additional details on the French plan, saying it will see Israeli vetting of Palestinian troops

The French president said he is working closely with the UK — which recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday — along with Arab leaders to advance the effort to “offer an international force to be deployed in Gaza, with a UN mandate… to assist and back [Palestinian] policemen and security forces.”

“It would involve Jordan and Egypt, and others are ready to finance. Obviously, it is to be made in close coordination with Israel,” Macron said.

He stressed that the “core element” of the French security plan is the “dismantling of Hamas.”

“There is no other option if you want to fix the situation — disarm Hamas, demobilize [its] fighters and organize… a DDR process… to be sure that Hamas will never be involved in the government, with some key people leav[ing] Gaza and some others de-radicalized,” Macron added.

“In order to do so, you need these international forces to be here,” he said.