The US State Department has sent a formal request to more than 70 countries, asking for troops or financial support for a proposed international security force for Gaza, The Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the report, Washington approached major European powers including France and Italy, as well as smaller nations such as El Salvador and Malta. A US official told the outlet that 19 countries have expressed interest in contributing in ways that do not involve deploying troops.

The Trump administration is reportedly aiming to assemble a force of approximately 10,000 personnel, though officials acknowledge the effort could take up to a year to recruit and organize.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that US Central Command is hosting representatives from more than 25 countries this week and is scheduled to hold a meeting focused on the proposed international force on Tuesday in Doha, followed by another meeting in January.

However, significant challenges remain. Countries that are open to sending troops have told the US they would only operate in Israeli-controlled areas. According to the WSJ, Israel currently controls the “Yellow Line” dividing the Gaza Strip, while Hamas maintains control over roughly 47% of the territory. The report adds that the US is continuing to press potential contributors to agree to operate in the Hamas-controlled “red zone.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)