The United States has approached Yemen about joining an international force to be deployed in Gaza as part of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, five Yemeni government sources, including top officials, told AFP.
The UN greenlit Trump’s peace plan this week, but its realisation faces major hurdles, with Arab and Muslim nations hesitant to participate in the new International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that could end up fighting Palestinian militants.
The Yemeni government is yet to make a decision, the sources, including a top Yemeni diplomat, a military official and an official from the Presidential Leadership Council, said.
They all spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Another source at the presidential council and the Yemeni diplomat said any contribution to the force would be largely symbolic.
“If we do participate, it will be just a few officers or soldiers in the operations room and the contacts room for logistical purposes. They will not be involved in other operations under this scheme,” the diplomat said.
Asked about the request, a US State Department spokesperson told AFP “we’re not going to detail private diplomatic conversations”.
They added that Trump himself had said “there will be many exciting announcements in the coming weeks”.
Yemen’s internationally-recognised government is largely fractured and weakened having been kicked out of the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in 2014, who now control most of Yemen’s population centres.
– ‘We can’t say no’ –
A senior military official said Yemen’s “participation in the international force has been discussed with the Americans, but we have not yet received an official request” to join the force.
Asked about Yemen’s incentives to join the force, the diplomat told AFP: “The issue is we cannot say no”.
The government largely relies on backing by US ally Saudi Arabia, which led an international coalition from early 2015 that failed to dislodge the Huthis.
“They think, at the PLC, that if they join, it’s a favour for Trump. So for us, I don’t feel there will be any risks joining and there will be no benefits but making (Trump) comfortable,” he added.
The force would be mandated to work on the decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups, protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.
But Hamas is opposed to its establishment, with its Huthi ally likely to be infuriated over Yemeni participation.
Since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023 after Hamas attacked Israel, the Huthis have repeatedly targeted Israel and ships they say are linked to it.
They have halted their attacks since a fragile truce began in the Palestinian territory.
Yemeni authorities are likely to “seize any opportunity to demonstrate that they can be a reliable ally for the United States, and especially for Trump,” said Adam Baron, a fellow at New America.
Last month, former US ambassador to Yemen Steve Fagin was named civilian lead for a body monitoring the Gaza ceasefire.
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