Officials from Jordan and Germany have stressed that a proposed international stabilization force in Gaza must operate under a formal mandate from the United Nations, not merely bilateral agreements.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II explicitly warned that many nations would refuse to join a force perceived as enforcing peace rather than keeping it. “What is the mandate of security forces inside of Gaza? And we hope that it is peacekeeping, because if it’s peace-enforcing, nobody will want to touch that,” he told the BBC.

Germany’s leadership echoed the call for a clear legal basis, noting that participating countries need a U.N. resolution to legitimize any deployment.

As negotiations continue for a so-called “International Stabilization Force” (ISF) in Gaza, the requirement for a U.N. mandate adds a major diplomatic hurdle, highlighting deep regional caution over involvement in the conflict zone.