US provides US$206 million for Gaza force despite deadlocked peace plan

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's administration has told Congress it is sending more than US$206 million for a proposed Gaza peacekeeping force, the first significant funding for the stalled US plan to rebuild the devastated enclave.In two Jul 30-dated notifications seen by Reuters, the State Department informed Congress it will provide US$200 million for the International Stabilization Force's (ISF) equipment, infrastructure, vehicles and operational costs. An additional US$6 million would repurpose US armoured vehicles to support the force.The notifications, which were addressed to key appropriations and foreign affairs committees in Congress, have not been previously reported. The funding is the first concrete US spending on the peacekeeping force and signals the administration's de