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The transition to Phase Two of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), has brought renewed focus to the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF). While the resolution authorizes the ISF as a central operational pillar of the next phase, significant uncertainty remains around its mandate, composition, sequencing, and relationship to emerging Palestinian governance arrangements.
This issue brief examines the conditions under which the ISF could contribute to stabilization rather than exacerbate political and security risks. Drawing on IPI-led consultations and off-the-record discussions with regional actors, UN officials, member states, and Israeli and Palestinian experts, the brief unpacks key challenges related to anchoring stabilization in a credible political horizon, clarifying the division of labor among international and local actors, and sequencing deployment alongside Israeli withdrawal, Palestinian policing, and reconstruction.
The brief surfaces critical questions for policymakers on mandate design, coordination, risk management, and legitimacy. It underscores that the ISF’s effectiveness will depend on its integration into a broader political framework, meaningful Palestinian participation, and clear benchmarks linking stabilization to a durable political proce
