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Source: https://www.miryaminstitute.org/commentary-blog/op-ed-in-gaza-think-kosovo-not-lebanon
Will the Gaza International Security Force Enforce Peace or Merely Observe It?
(Miryam Institute) Maj. (ret.) John Spencer - The UN Security Council resolution proposing the establishment of an International Security Force (ISF) in Gaza empowers the force "to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate." The ISF is to "stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups." When Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 1982, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was never equipped or mandated to disarm the militia that later evolved into Hizbullah, which entrenched itself across southern Lebanon and built formidable capabilities, even within sight of UN positions. According to its mandate, UNIFIL could monitor but not prevent, record but not eliminate. It became a spectator in the conflict. If the ISF observes but does not enforce, it will replicate the same failure. For the Gaza mission to succeed, it needs certain guiding principles: The mission must have the legal and operational ability to compel demilitarization if armed groups refuse. Without that, it will share UNIFIL's fate. Aid and materials must be tied to verified disarmament and must not be diverted to re-arming. No aid without oversight. A new Palestinian police force must be properly vetted, trained, and mentored over an extended timeline. Equally important is the narrative. Israel and its partners must now show that what is happening in Gaza is liberation from militant rule, not occupation. The most credible narrative will be visible results: security, opportunity and respect for civilians. The writer is chair of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute.