A snapshot from a Greek military exercise near the town of Komotini, northern Greece, last November.
Greece plans to take part in the International Stabilization Force with Gaza, with a special battalion that will include armored vehicles that will take part in maintaining security, as well as medics and engineers, thus upgrading its presence compared to its last international mission as part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), from January 2002 to July 2021.
As part of the ISAF, the Greek contingent had distributed medical supplies and humanitarian assistance, helped in the reconstruction of government buildings and schools and the maintenance of public works, and cleared minefields.
Now, with 100-150 personnel, the battalion will not be at full strength; but the security role is a recent addition to the plan, in line with the government’s wish that Greece take a more active part in crisis management, at least in its immediate vicinity.
The security component will most likely use M1117 armored security vehicles, the kind used by US military police.
The Stabilization Force is part of the Gaza peace plan agreed to by Hamas and Israel last October and mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 on November 17.
Greece was among the first countries to support the US proposal for a force, earning Washington’s thanks and overcoming internal opposition to putting Greek forces in harm’s way. The composition and role of the Greek contingent was arrived at after extensive consultation with both the US and Israel.
It has not been determined when the force will be deployed, but two Greek officers have already been detached to the US-led Civil-Military Coordination in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat.
The Greek battalion will be deployed within the security perimeter established in Gaza by Israel Defense Forces. Since the security force component is small, it will operate as part of a larger force.
The Greek detachment will be part of an 8,000-strong initial force, led by the US Central Command and in which the countries bordering Gaza, Egypt and Israel will also play an important role.
The force is expected to soon expand to 20,000 operating on the ISAF model but nowhere near that force’s levels, which reached 180,000.