US and EU back UN force in post-war Gaza, adding pressure on Israel
- Frustration mounts among allies as Gaza civilian casualties grow amid Israel’s war against Hamas
- Israeli officials voiced scepticism that a UN force would be effective or able to take on such a task
The US and its European allies are pushing a plan to deploy an international peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip after the war, according to people familiar with the matter, raising pressure on Israel to bring its military operation to an end as civilian casualties mount.
The people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said US and European officials concede big questions remain about whether such an operation would be workable in Gaza, and recognise that Israel remains highly sceptical of such a plan.
But they said even discussing the idea may help push Israel to think more about wrapping up the campaign and consider what might come next.
The discussions, centred around the United Nations Security Council, remain preliminary. They come partly in response to growing international calls for a ceasefire in Israel’s assault on Hamas, which is labelled a terrorist group by the US and the EU.
In a sign of growing impatience with Israel’s offensive, which has killed more than 11,000 people, according to Hamas-backed authorities in Gaza, the Security Council Wednesday approved a resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in the fighting.