US asked Yemen to join international Gaza force: Yemeni officials

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 realization faces major hurdles, with Arab and Muslim nations hesitant to participate in an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that could clash with Palestinian militants.

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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.

A source at the presidential council and the Yemeni diplomat said any contribution to the force would be largely symbolic.

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.

Yemen’s internationally-recognized government is largely fractured and weakened.

It was kicked out of the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Houthis in 2014, who now control most of Yemen’s population centers.

Hamas is opposed to the establishment of the force, with its Houthi ally likely to be infuriated over Yemeni participation.

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