19 Nov 2025: Column distributed by Kyodo and published in many newspapers in Japan. “English Version: Japan Should Take an Initiative to Establish International Trust Fund to Support International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza”　

Japan should take an initiative to create an international trust fund to support International Stabilization Forces in Gaza

Based on the peace plan on Gaza by President Trump, UN Security Council adopted a resolution to endorse the International Stabilization Forces (ISF), which aims to monitor the ceasefire in Gaza on 17 November 2025.

The ceasefire was agreed on 10 October 2025; and the first stage of the agreement realized the release of 20 Israeli captives who are alive in Gaza by Hamas, and about 2,000 Palestine captives who were taken into the custodies by Israel were also released. The second stage, which must be critical, will begin soon.

The major components of the second stage by Trump’s peace plan are 1) a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza; 2) disarming Hamas; 3) creating a Palestine technocrat committee that will govern daily lives in Gaza as well as the international “board of peace” that will oversee the Palestine technocrat committee; 4) dispatching International Stabilization Forces (ISF) to Gaza.

I assess whether ISF can play an effective role in monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza is critical in implementing this peace plan. If the ceasefire is maintained by dispatching ISF, it is possible to make gradual steps for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and disarming Hamas.

ISF is not UN peacekeeping operation (UN PKO). If it is UN PKO, the budget of PKO will be calculated automatically, based on the rule to pay about 1,450 USD per soldier per month, and the necessary cost of dispatching forces will be paid to the countries which will dispatch UN peacekeepers. The total cost of UN PKO will be covered by all UN member states, which will pay the agreed share of PKO budget. (For instance, Japan is currently covering 7 percent of the entire UN PKO budget, that was agreed by UN member states.)

However, there has been no discussion about how to fund ISF in Gaza, except that the cost will be covered by voluntary contributions. The possible candidates for dispatching forces, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Egypt, need to be financially supported by some international financial mechanism. It is urgent to create the financial system to support ISF.

I propose that Japan should take an initiative to create the “international trust fund to support ISF in Gaza” under some UN agency, such as UN Development Program (UNDP). Japan can pledge 30-50 million US dollars as a seed money and call for the international community “to contribute to this trust fund to show our commitments to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza, expand humanitarian assistance, and advance reconstruction in Gaza.”

I often visit Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, to deliver my lectures and conduct field research; and I perceive trust and respect by people in these regions for Japan who has been assisting “self-reliance and stability” as a peace-seeking country.

If Japan calls for the collaboration to contribute to the international trust fund to support ISF for promoting sustainable ceasefire, humanitarian assistance, and reconstruction projects in Gaza, I expect that many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Middle East, as well as countries in Europe, Canada, and Asia will contribute to this trust fund to support ISF.

I also believe that if Japan can establish this trust fund as a financial mechanism to support ISF, it will be appreciated by Palestine people in Gaza, people in the world who are hoping for sustainable peace in the Midde East, and President Trump who is currently passionate about maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza and dispatching ISF. The peace plan for Gaza was agreed in October this year, thus it is adequate to use a complementary budget of Japan which is scheduled to be passed in the end of 2025. I am convinced that if the government of Japan can reserve some budget and call for establishing the international trust fund to support ISF, it will be a concrete policy by Japan to make some specific contribution to peacebuilding at the center of the world.

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The original and Japanese column, distributed by Kyodo and published in many newspapers in Japan. “Japan Should Take an Initiative to Establish International Trust Fund to Support International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza”