What Happened
Military delegations from Uganda and Burundi are currently holding direct discussions within Israel concerning the potential deployment of their troops to Gaza. These talks represent a significant development in the formation of a proposed International Stabilization Force backed by the United States, an initiative championed by President Donald Trump.
The mission is designed to operate directly under the authority of Trump’s Board of Peace rather than functioning as a standard United Nations peacekeeping operation. Command of this incoming multinational force is slated to be held by U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers.
While Uganda has actively finalized specific details regarding its participation, Burundi remains in the evaluation phase. Officials have explicitly confirmed that no formal agreement has been reached yet with Burundi regarding final troop contributions, creating a disparity between the two East African nations’ current status.
The Timeline
On 18 August 2026, reporting described military representatives from both nations visiting Rafah amid talks to join the Gaza stabilization force. This procedural step follows an approval by the Ugandan parliament earlier this month to send troops abroad.
In parallel, Burundi dispatched a delegation consisting of senior military officers to Israel to carefully evaluate the mission parameters and deployment environment. However, despite these high-level visits, the diplomatic plan remains thoroughly deadlocked due to opposing demands regarding territory and disarmament.
At present, Israel maintains direct control over approximately 60 percent of the Gaza Strip. Any actual troop deployment ultimately depends heavily on tangible progress being made within the broader ceasefire agreement, which explicitly links future Israeli military withdrawal to the complete disarmament of Hamas.
Who Said What
Kampala has officially committed approximately 1,200 personnel to the mission, positioning Uganda as one of the largest confirmed contributors to date. Both the Ugandan and Burundian militaries bring extensive background experience to the table, having previously served in African Union operations in Somalia where they engaged the al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group al-Shabaab.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration has officially notified the U.S. Congress of its distinct intent to provide more than $206 million in financial support. This funding is specifically intended to cover vital equipment, necessary infrastructure, vehicles, and daily operating expenses for the force.
Conversely, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly refused to pull back from controlled territory until Hamas is fully disarmed. With these opposing demands leaving the diplomatic plan thoroughly deadlocked, there is currently no confirmed date established for foreign troops to enter Gaza.
The Numbers That Matter
The initiative is designed to eventually scale up to a total of 20,000 personnel. However, current commitments fall significantly short of this stated target. Other confirmed international pledges currently remain relatively modest; Morocco has offered up to 500 personnel to the effort.
Kosovo, Kazakhstan, and Albania have collectively committed a combined total of roughly 80 troops. A prior proposal put forward by Indonesia to send 8,000 troops was placed on hold following American and Israeli attacks on Iran.
This sudden pause leaves total commitments far short of the stated 20,000-troop target. The financial package will also support the repurposing of American armored vehicles designated for the contributing nations, though the scale of this operation remains constrained by the lack of a finalized troop ceiling.
Why This Matters
Under the framework currently outlined for the mission, the international force would carry out several key duties. These include monitoring the ceasefire agreement and securing incoming humanitarian aid deliveries.
Additionally, the force would take on the responsibility of training a newly formed Palestinian police force and providing necessary security in areas transitioned away from Israeli military control and handed over to an incoming Palestinian technocratic administration.
The involvement of African nations loyal to Israel marks a shift in regional dynamics amid one of the most devastating wars in the Middle East. While the United States advances material preparations on the ground, the operational reality hinges entirely on resolving the deadlock between Washington’s funding and equipment offers and Tel Aviv’s conditions for withdrawal.
Until the ceasefire agreement progresses sufficiently to allow for Israeli military withdrawal, the deployment of these 1,200 Ugandan soldiers and any future Burundian contingent remains contingent on political developments rather than logistical readiness.