Up to 500 Moroccan personnel trained for Gaza stabilization force amid deployment delays

Up to 500 Moroccan military and police personnel have received US-led training for a possible deployment to Gaza with the International Stabilization Force, The Times of Israel reported on Monday, citing an unnamed official of the Board of Peace. No deployment date has been announced.

The Media Line described the Board of Peace as President Donald Trump's. It reported that the training began in Morocco in late August, first with officers and instructors and then with a larger contingent. Yabiladi gave the same account. Both outlets said the official could not confirm whether the programme had been completed.

According to The Media Line, the stabilization force is part of a United Nations-backed framework for Gaza following the 2025 ceasefire. It said the proposed force would support humanitarian operations, train Palestinian police and help establish security arrangements for a transitional civilian administration. The broader US peace plan calls for Hamas to disarm and Israeli troops to withdraw from Gaza, The Media Line added.

Yabiladi, citing The Times of Israel, reported that the force would initially operate in Israeli-controlled areas. Its tasks would include securing New Rafah, a proposed UAE-built development intended to house Palestinians in an area without Hamas.

The Media Line said Albania, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Indonesia have also pledged personnel. Yabiladi named Albania, Kazakhstan and Kosovo, and said Morocco is expected to deploy first.

Both outlets reported that preparations face delays. The Media Line said individual national contingents still need Israeli consent. It also said a proposed base near Gaza's Yellow Line, meant to hold approximately 150 personnel, has yet to receive the approvals needed for construction. Yabiladi described the base as having capacity for around 150 personnel and said several initiatives were awaiting Israeli approval.

The Board of Peace official said, according to Yabiladi: «We need to move beyond constructive conversations to constructive implementation», he said.

The Media Line also reported that a separate United Arab Emirates-backed project to house displaced Palestinians in an Israeli-controlled area has made limited progress. It said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated this week that wider reconstruction would depend on Hamas's disarmament, while acknowledging authorization for some work on the Emirati project. Water and sewage projects also remain delayed despite Israeli support in principle, The Media Line said.

How we got here

• In February: Morocco pledged to contribute police and military personnel to the force, according to The Media Line. Yabiladi, citing The Times of Israel, said Morocco became the first Arab country to announce such a contribution.
• In June: Moroccan officers arrived at the force's headquarters in southern Israel, The Media Line reported.
• In July: Rabat formalized its participation, according to The Media Line.
• In July: Israel's security cabinet approved the legal framework for international deployments, The Media Line reported.
• In late August: US-led training began in Morocco, according to The Media Line and Yabiladi.
• On October 20: The Times of Israel published its report on the training, according to Yabiladi.

What comes next

Israel holds its parliamentary election on October 27, according to both outlets. The Media Line said Board of Peace officials hope implementation will accelerate after the vote. Yabiladi reported that the official expressed the same hope, saying the plan is still advancing.