Egyptian honour guards march to take their positions during a welcoming ceremony for US President Donald Trump upon his arrival at Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in Sharm al-Sheikh on Oct. 13, 2025, to attend a summit on Gaza. (Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP)
Egypt is expected to lead the "International Stabilization Force" laid out in U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for post-war Gaza, The Guardian reported on Saturday, citing an unspecified number of diplomats.
These diplomats also told the British publication that a U.N. Security Council motion is currently being drafted by certain European member states and the U.S. with the aim of giving this force robust powers inside the devastated Gaza Strip. Egypt is still being consulted on whether the force should be a full U.N.-led operation, The Guardian added.
Hamas agreed to the first stage of Trump's proposal, which is currently underway with the exchange of hostages after a partial Israeli withdrawal. However, it said the rest of Trump's plan, which includes international soldiers in Gaza, would require discussions within a "unified national Palestinian framework," and Hamas alone was not mandated to make unilateral decisions on the future of Palestinian territory.
The U.S. is reportedly pushing for the coalition of troops to be granted a U.N. mandate without actually becoming a fully fledged U.N. peacekeeping force. This would give the force the kind of powers currently wielded by international troops operating in Haiti to combat armed gangs.
Among the countries known to have expressed willingness to contribute soldiers are Turkey, Indonesia and Azerbaijan, although Indonesia is the only country to have made the offer publicly, saying it would commit to sending 20,000 soldiers to Gaza.
According to Times of Israel, which cites three government officials familiar with the matter, Azerbaijan has, at least behind closed doors, agreed to send troops to Gaza. The U.S. is reportedly in talks with other countries in an attempt to garner more support for the force.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, also cited by Times of Israel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Trump last month, during a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, that Ankara was also prepared to send forces to Gaza.
It’s unclear whether Israel will allow the presence of Turkish forces in Gaza, however, amid the collapse of ties between the two countries since the start of the Gaza war.
According to The Guardian, European and British troops are not expected to be involved, but the U.K. has sent advisers to a "small cell" being operated by the U.S. inside Israel that is working on implementing the second phase of Trump's 20-point plan. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Vice President JD Vance are both reportedly traveling to Israel this coming week.
