By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Axios reports that the Trump administration plans to appoint a US two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, expanding Washington’s central role in Gaza’s security and new governance structure.

The Trump administration is preparing to appoint a US two-star general to lead the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, according to an Axios report published on Thursday, citing two US officials and two Israeli officials.

The US-based website noted that the planned appointment would “further increase the US responsibility for securing and rebuilding Gaza,” describing the US-led initiative as the largest American political-civilian-military project in the Middle East in more than two decades.

According to the report, Washington has already established a civil-military headquarters in Israel tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and coordinating humanitarian aid. 

Board of Peace and ISF

Axios revealed that the Trump administration intends to move quickly into the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, under which the Israeli military would pull farther back, the ISF would deploy, and a new administrative framework—including the Trump-led Gaza Board of Peace—would take effect.

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Trump told reporters this week that he plans to announce the Board of Peace “in early 2026,” Axios wrote.

Behind the scenes, Israeli officials told Axios that US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent visit that Washington would lead the ISF and appoint an American two-star general as its commander. 

“Waltz even said he knows the general personally and stressed he is a very serious guy,” one Israeli official reportedly said.

The same officials said Waltz insisted that putting an American general in charge should reassure Israel that the force “will operate according to appropriate standards.”

According to the report, two US officials confirmed to Axios that the administration intends to appoint an American commander, though a White House official maintained that “no definitive decisions have been made or communicated” regarding the ISF, the Board of Peace, or the proposed Palestinian technocratic government.

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International Participation Unclear

Axios reported that US officials are finalizing the structure of both the ISF and the new governing body. 

Washington has reportedly proposed that former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov serve as the Board of Peace representative on the ground in Gaza, working alongside a future Palestinian technocratic administration.

The Trump administration has also begun quietly briefing Western governments and inviting them to join the new board. According to Axios, Germany and Italy have already received invitations.

Earlier expressions of willingness to contribute troops to the ISF came from Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Egypt, though it remains uncertain whether those positions still stand—or whether any Western states are prepared to commit soldiers.

A major point of hesitation, Axios said, relates to questions about whether Hamas would voluntarily disarm, and what the rules of engagement for the ISF would be.

Pressure on European States

A European diplomat who attended a recent US briefing in Tel Aviv told Axios that American officials emphasized the consequences if countries decline to support or contribute to the ISF.

According to the diplomat, US officials warned that “if you are not ready to go to Gaza, don’t complain that the IDF stays,” suggesting that the Israeli military would not withdraw from areas it continues to occupy unless the multinational force is deployed.

Axios reported that, despite the pressure, Washington has not provided international partners with a clear timeline for the ISF deployment.

(The Palestine Chronicle)