Uganda (AP) — Ugandan authorities sought and won parliamentary approval Thursday to deploy troops to Gaza as part of the inter<a href="https://todaytrendnews7.com/florida-pastor-accused-of-sex-with-a-child-and-hiding-hiv-positive-status-national/” title=”Florida pastor accused of sex with a child and hiding HIV-positive status – National”>national force proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to secure the territory following the devastating Israel-Hamas war
The successful motion, brought by the defense minister, is Uganda’s first public indication of its willingness to join the International Stabilization Force for Gaza. Morocco also has pledged troops for the mission
It was not immediately clear why Uganda agreed to deploy in Gaza, or if there was a quid pro quo involved, and some opposition lawmakers immediately questioned Uganda’s motive in the decision. Lawmaker Hassan Kirumira said the deployment would raise “diplomatic concerns” for a country that is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
The “big question” for supporters of the deployment to clarify is: “On which side is our army going to fight?” he said in parliament
Defense Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka, seeking the support of lawmakers, cited Uganda’s military capabilities stemming from its peacekeeping deployments in countries such as Somalia
The force, proposed by Trump’s Board of Peace in February, would be led by American Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who said in May that the 20,000-strong force would ensure “future prosperity and enduring peace.”
Last week Trump announced a deal for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. According to that deal, the International Stabilization Force would be deployed to Gaza after the completion of a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops
The agreement, part of a broader ceasefire deal reached last year, calls for Israel to cease its military operations and for Hamas and its allies in Gaza to halt all militant activity. The agreement also laid out in general terms what the decommissioning process would look like
After the text of the agreement was released, Israel said it had “serious security concerns” and that it shared those with the U.S
Israeli attacks have killed 1,250 people since the ceasefire deal was reached in October, an agreement that ended major fighting in the Israel-Hamas war that had raged for two years
