Egypt unveiled a proposal for the UN Security Council on Monday to consider establishing an international presence in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
This came during a meeting held in Cairo between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, foreign ambassadors, and international representatives to discuss the rehabilitation of Gaza’s healthcare sector.
“There is a proposal for the Security Council to study establishing an international presence in Gaza and the West Bank,” Abdelatty said in statements cited by a Foreign Ministry statement.
“This will be done through the adoption of a Security Council resolution to deploy peacekeeping or international protection forces with clear mandates and powers, under a timetable that ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” he added.
The top diplomat did not specify the current stage of this proposal.
An emergency Arab summit on Gaza held in Egypt on March 4 called for the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Gaza and the West Bank, as part of political efforts to establish a Palestinian state.
According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, an Arab plan for rebuilding Gaza without displacing its Palestinian inhabitants has received significant regional and international support.
Abdelatty outlined key requirements for the plan’s success, including stabilizing a ceasefire in Gaza, managing early recovery and reconstruction efforts in a way that ensures Palestinian ownership, and treating Gaza as an integral part of Palestinian territory.
He also stressed the need to enable the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza and assume its responsibilities.
Additionally, Abdelatty noted that Egypt and Jordan have begun training Palestinian police officers in preparation for their deployment in Gaza.
Over 48,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 112,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 2023. The assault, which left the enclave in ruins, was paused under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold on Jan. 19.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.