The military chiefs of staff of nations set to take part in Gaza's International Stabilization Force (ISF) are expected to meet next month, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

Discussions were still in the early stages regarding the meeting's details, with neither the time nor the location finalized. Germany is among the locations being considered for the summit, according to a source.

The meeting underscored US President Donald Trump's determination to advance the establishment of the ISF, aiming for it to operate in Gaza by early 2026.

Earlier this week, the US Central Command hosted a meeting in Qatar with representatives of 32 countries. Of those nations, 17 are receiving detailed briefings on the force, including its deployment locations, rules of engagement, and objectives, to determine whether to contribute troops.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a limited forum of ministers and senior defense officials on Thursday evening, ahead of his meeting with Trump, scheduled for two weeks at the US president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The forum focused on the second phase of Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip.

An illustration US President Donald Trump and the Gaza Strip
An illustration US President Donald Trump and the Gaza Strip (credit: REUTERS, SHUTTERSTOCK)

Phase two can only begin with return of Rani Gvili, Israel stresses

Israel continues to stress that reconstruction of Gaza will begin only after the return of the last fallen hostage, the late Ran Gvili, and the start of Hamas’s disarmament. Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey - the mediating countries - are attempting to persuade the Trump administration that reconstruction should begin in parallel with the disarmament process.

“Since October 7, Israel has been saying one clear and consistent thing. This is not a slogan – it is a promise. We will not move forward until we bring all the hostages home,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said during the UN General Assembly, which he attended with Ran Gvili's sister.

“For more than 800 days, I have been wearing the yellow pin here at the UN. This pin will not come off. We will not stop until Ran returns home,” he added.

On Friday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty are scheduled to meet with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Miami, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

This will be the first meeting of all four senior officials since the ceasefire agreement was signed in October.