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The Trump administration plans to appoint an American two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, Axios reported.
Officials said the move would place the United States in charge of Gaza’s international security force as part of a broader effort to secure and rebuild the enclave.
The U.S. has already established a civil-military headquarters in Israel to monitor the ceasefire and coordinate humanitarian aid, and is leading planning for Gaza’s reconstruction.
White House officials stressed that no U.S. troops would be deployed on the ground in Gaza.
The ceasefire in Gaza is described by officials as the Trump administration’s most significant foreign policy achievement of the president’s second term so far, though it remains fragile.
U.S. officials said the administration aims to advance quickly to a second phase of the agreement to prevent renewed fighting.
That phase would include further withdrawals by Israeli forces, deployment of the ISF in Gaza, and the establishment of a new governing structure, including a Trump-led Gaza Board of Peace.
The United Nations Security Council has authorized both the ISF and the board.
Trump told reporters he plans to announce the Gaza Board of Peace in early 2026.
Israeli officials said U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders during a recent visit that the United States would lead the ISF and appoint a two-star general as its commander.
They said Waltz emphasized that U.S. leadership would ensure the force operates according to appropriate standards.
U.S. officials confirmed that appointing an American general is the current plan, though a White House official said no final decision has been made.
Officials said a leading contender to command the ISF is Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, a special operations commander for U.S. Central Command.
Jeffers previously led the U.S. mechanism monitoring the ceasefire in Lebanon.
U.S. officials said they are in the final stages of assembling the ISF and the new governance framework for Gaza.
The administration has proposed that former U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov serve as the Board of Peace’s on-the-ground representative, working with a future Palestinian technocratic government.
The Trump administration has been briefing Western countries on the plans and inviting them to participate.
Germany and Italy have been invited to join the Board of Peace, according to sources.
Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Egypt have previously expressed willingness to contribute troops to the ISF, though officials said it is unclear whether that remains the case.
Some countries remain hesitant, seeking clarity on whether Hamas would disarm voluntarily and on the rules of engagement for the new force.
U.S. officials have told European diplomats that deployment of the ISF would begin once the Board of Peace is in place, without setting a clear timeline.
U.S. officials also warned that if countries do not support or participate in the ISF, Israeli forces would remain in parts of Gaza they currently control.
A White House official said discussions on the ISF, the Board of Peace and a technocratic Palestinian government are ongoing, but no definitive decisions have been finalized.
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