'Good progress’ on drafting resolution for Gaza international stabilization force: US' Rubio

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “good progress” is being made on drafting a UN resolution for an international stabilization force in Gaza, stressing that rather than a combat unit the force will be vital to securing areas as humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts expand.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday after a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada, Rubio said an updated draft of the resolution is still being refined with input from multiple countries and that Washington hopes to see action on it “very soon.”

“It needs to be done the right way,” he said, adding that the US is working to balance the interests of various nations involved. “We don’t want to lose momentum on this.”

While the stabilization force is not intended to carry out raids or engage in fighting, Rubio said it will be necessary to provide basic security in areas not under Israeli control as Hamas is required to disarm under the agreement all the parties endorsed.

“If you want to really flood Gaza, particularly in that red area that’s not in Israeli control – if you really want to see a huge uptick not just in humanitarian assistance but redevelopment, you’re going to need to have security, and that can’t be Hamas,” he explained.

“So there will have to be a force that provides just basic everyday security. That’s as much as anything else what the stabilization force’s role is, is to stabilize.”

Rubio stressed that the long-term goal is a Gaza governed by a credible civilian Palestinian body rather than Hamas or any foreign power.

“Eventually there won’t be a yellow line,” he said, referring to the divide between Hamas-controlled and non-Hamas areas.

“There should be a civilian Palestinian organization that runs Gaza, and that’s the goal … to stand that organization up, give it capacity, allow it to grow in both capability and credibility, and ultimately it will govern Gaza,” he said.

He added that Israel does not want to administer the territory, nor do the US or regional countries, making interim security arrangements essential as Palestinian governance capacity is rebuilt.

-West Bank concerns

Rubio also addressed a recent spike in settler-related violence in the West Bank, saying he hopes the unrest will not undermine the broader diplomatic and security efforts underway in Gaza.

He noted that Israeli President Isaac Herzog and a regional Israeli army commander had condemned the attacks, which also targeted Israeli troops and police. “I don’t have all the details … but this has happened in the past,” Rubio said.

“Certainly there’s some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza,” he said.