Israel wants international force deployment in Gaza

The Israeli foreign ministry has proposed the deployment of an international force in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge, the Ha’aretz daily reported Sunday. The proposal, submitted in a document to a security cabinet meeting August 21, called for an international force to be deployed in the strip to help make sure Hamas would not re-arm itself and that funds would go to the rehabilitation of the enclave, which was badly hit by the 7-week operation. Among others, the document suggests four alternatives to deploy the force - a European Union, western, U.N. or a NATO force. The classified document is two-pages long and may play a significant role when Israel and Hamas delegates resume negotiating a permanent truce. Israel and Hamas agreed to an unlimited truce August 26, ending the operation that started July 8 and claimed the lives of more than 2,100 Palestinians and 70 Israelis.