A cadre of U.S. leaders wrapped up a week of Israeli visits on Friday, as the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be holding. However, a visit by the secretary of state was not without its controversy, as Gaza’s humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate and Palestinian blood continues to be shed.
International peacekeeping force takes shape
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday visited a center in southern Israel that’s hosting American forces tasked with overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, now in its second week. Roughly 200 troops are stationed at the center, working alongside delegations from several other nations, including Cyprus, Greece, France, Germany, Australia and Canada, according to reporting from The Associated Press.
Together, these countries are meant to act as a “stabilization force” that can effectively monitor the terms and implementation of the ceasefire. U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, was appointed to lead the center’s civilian operations, while Adm. Brad Cooper of the U.S. Central Command will lead its military wing.
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Rubio’s visit comes on the heels of similar trips made by other high-ranking U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The ceasefire, as it currently stands, was hailed by both Vance and Rubio during their visits. On Friday, Rubio said “we have a lot to be proud of in the first 10 days, 11 days, 12 days of implementation,” while acknowledging “real challenges along the way.”
Rubio also touched on the need for a potential mandate drafted under the United Nations, which would guide the role of countries that take part in the international peacekeeping force –– countries that Rubio stressed Israel has to be ”comfortable with.”
That includes a clear understanding of what their mandate, role and command are, as well as the authority under which they are operating, their leadership structure and ultimately, their job within the greater force. Some countries would require U.N. authorization to participate.
Turkey, UNRWA excluded from aid efforts
Already, reports suggest that Israel has rejected any possibility of a Turkish delegation being involved in the stabilization force, despite its NATO membership and role alongside Egypt and Qatar during two years of attempted ceasefire negotiations.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had flatly refused the possibility, saying “there will be no Turkish involvement” in Gaza. At the same time, Vance, during his visit, said that Turkey could play a “constructive role” in normalizing operations on the ground.
Meanwhile, Rubio also ruled out the possibility of the U.N.’s Palestinian refugee organization, UNRWA, supporting aid and relief efforts in the Strip. Both Israel and the U.S. have accused UNRWA of being “infiltrated” by Hamas and operating on its behalf, without providing evidence.
On Thursday, UNRWA’s chief, Philippe Lazzarini, addressed the allegations in a post to X, invoking findings from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“Yesterday’s unambiguous & near unanimous ruling by the International Court of Justice stated that claims about UNRWA being infiltrated by Hamas are not substantiated, nor are allegations that UNRWA is not a neutral organisation,” Lazzarini wrote. “The court also stressed that UNRWA is the key humanitarian actor with a ‘unique & sustained connection’ to the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The ICJ recently said that Israel has not allowed “sufficient supplies” into Gaza, large swaths of which have been plunged into famine, alongside the nearly complete destruction of its critical infrastructure and residential housing. More than 68,000 Palestinians have also been killed since Israel launched its war in Gaza in October 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry reports.
UNRWA’s senior communications manager, Jonathan Fowler, told the BBC that the ICJ’s ruling suggests Israel’s actions contravene “all obligations that member states are meant to follow,” adding, “It’s incumbent upon all member states of the United Nations to ensure that international law is followed by all other member states of the United Nations.”
Humanitarian situation struggles, bloodshed continues
Similarly, on Saturday, UNRWA said that if it’s not allowed to do its job, Gaza’s humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate as winter sets in.
“As winter approaches in Gaza, people are increasingly in need of shelter and warmth,” UNRWA posted to its official X account. “Shelter materials and winter supplies for displaced families are sitting in UNRWA warehouses in Jordan and Egypt, blocked from entry. UNRWA humanitarian access must be restored.”
While Israeli airstrikes into Gaza have largely subsided, bloodshed in the enclave has not completely stopped. On Saturday, the AP reported that two Palestinian children were severely injured after mistaking an unexploded munition near their home for a toy.
“We’ve just returned last week,” the children’s grandfather said while they were being treated at Shifa hospital. “Their lives have been ruined forever.”
According to a British emergency physician and pediatrician working at the hospital, the risk of further Palestinian deaths, compounded by a severe lack of medical supplies and infrastructure in the enclave, is a “common recurrence.”
“This is the death trap,” the doctor said. “We’re talking about a ceasefire, but the killing hasn’t stopped.”
