How Morocco's Gaza deployment is reshaping its ties with Israel

What Happened

On 15 July, Morocco signed an agreement in Rabat to deploy 200 military personnel to the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, as reported by Al Jazeera. The deployment, authorised by King Mohammed VI, is intended to operate under a peace plan framework involving the Board of Peace (BoP) and the Israeli military. While the Moroccan National Defence Administration described the mission as a commitment to regional stability and humanitarian assistance, including the establishment of a field hospital, critics and activists have characterised the move as complicity in the ongoing conflict and potential support for Israeli security objectives.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The deployment marks the first instance of an Arab and African nation contributing military personnel to an international force in Gaza under the current conflict framework. The move highlights the tension between Morocco's diplomatic normalisation with Israel and significant domestic public opposition, as evidenced by the 2025 Arab Index finding that 89 percent of Moroccans oppose recognising Israel.

Watch For

Monitor the actual deployment of the 200 Moroccan soldiers to Rafah and whether the force coordinates directly with the Israeli military as planned. Additionally, observe the response of domestic Moroccan protest movements and whether the ISF mission faces operational challenges given the lack of a formal Israeli withdrawal timeframe and the continued expansion of settlements.