President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani speak at Al Udeid Air Base, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
More than two dozen countries—including several Arab and Muslim nations—have joined the US-led effort to ensure Gaza’s disarmament and reconstruction, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press conference.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Qatar may be willing to contribute forces to assist peacekeeping in Gaza and that the preparations for an international force in the strip were underway.
His remarks came after meeting Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during a refueling stop in Doha.
Trump told reporters the objective was to secure “an enduring peace” and praised Qatar as a vital partner willing to contribute troops if requested.
“They’ve been a great ally and a key player in the region’s stability,” he said.
The president’s comments followed a briefing by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who earlier described the Gaza stabilization effort as “something the world has never done before.”
Speaking in Israel before departing for Qatar, Rubio said the first phase of the Trump administration’s 20-point Gaza plan had achieved significant progress within two weeks but warned that the process would involve “ups and downs and twists and turns.”
During his visit, Rubio toured a coordination center in Israel where American and allied teams oversee humanitarian operations and plan the next stage of Gaza’s recovery.
He said aid convoys were now crossing beyond the so-called “yellow line” that separates secure and contested areas, with international and faith-based organizations managing distribution.
Rubio made clear that the United States would not rely on UNRWA for aid delivery, calling the agency “a subsidiary of Hamas.”
He said the plan’s future hinges on Hamas’s complete disarmament, adding that “Israel has met its commitments. If Hamas fails to demilitarize, that will have to be enforced.”
According to Rubio, more than two dozen countries—including several Arab and Muslim nations—have joined the US-led effort to ensure Gaza’s disarmament and reconstruction.
Washington is now preparing a legal framework for the International Stabilization Force, which could operate under a UN resolution or an independent international mandate.
Discussions on the deployment’s structure and participating nations are expected to continue in Doha on Sunday.
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