An Italian will head Eubam Rafah. The Americans are pleased: now the Carabinieri are in Gaza

From November, an Italian will lead the European civilian and military mission responsible for supervising the Rafah crossing, which separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Command of EUBAM Rafah will pass to Carabinieri Colonel Vittorio Stingo, who was appointed in mid-August by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. It will be a delicate task: leading the only European mission engaged in the Gaza Strip with operational responsibilities. According to information obtained by Il Foglio, Stingo is merely awaiting the go-ahead from the Political and Security Committee in Brussels – a generally routine but necessary formality to formalise the appointment. However, beyond the significance of the role itself, the appointment could form part of a broader political manoeuvre between Italy and the United States. 

For some time now, the Trump administration has been persistently urging Giorgia Meloni’s government to commit more of our Carabinieri to the West Bank and, above all, to Gaza. The appointment of Stingo to head EUBAM Rafah is said to have been welcomed by the Americans. “But more generally, Italy – which boasts one of the largest field delegations – is regarded by Washington as the ideal partner, possessing the right degree of moderation that, for example, has been lacking in other Western countries – such as Spain and the Netherlands – when it comes to providing concrete aid to Gaza,” a diplomatic official explains to Il Foglio. The U.S. view is that the Carabinieri – widely respected not only by the Americans but also by Arab countries – are the best solution for teaching the Palestinian police forces the technical skills needed to ensure security in Gaza. For this reason, they are now expecting Palazzo Chigi to take a step forward on sending the Carabinieri to the occupied territories.

Our military personnel are already stationed in Jericho, in the West Bank, as part of the Miadit Palestina mission, and in Ramallah as part of the European Eupol Copps mission, both of which aim to train the Palestinian police force. So far, however, the Meloni government has remained cautious about sending Carabinieri to Gaza as well. Tense relations between the Italian government and the Trump administration have hampered cooperation between Rome and Washington on certain issues; however, regarding the Gaza Strip, diplomatic sources consulted by Il Foglio assure us that discussions on the deployment of our troops to Gaza have progressed fruitfully in recent months. These discussions have also continued within the framework of the International Gaza Support Centre, the multinational command based in Kiryat Gat, Israel, which since last year has been overseeing compliance with the ceasefire in the Strip and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Rumours that have already surfaced suggest that around two hundred Carabinieri are, in accordance with the Americans’ wishes, to be initially deployed to Jordan to train Palestinian security forces. In a second phase – and this is where things get more delicate – the Italian military are expected to support and assist local police recruits in the Gaza Strip as well. However, on this point, the Italian government has consistently raised various political and legal concerns. Not least among these is the administrative system of the Gaza Strip, the contours of which remain unclear to this day. Our country is merely an observer on the Board of Peace – the body overseeing this delicate transition phase in Gaza – and currently holds no leadership roles. Nor is it yet clear who will hold such roles once the political and administrative structure of the Strip becomes operational. For now, the Board has outlined – though only in theoretical terms – the creation of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a political body that is intended to be composed of Palestinians from Gaza, and an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), which is not yet operational. Under the Americans’ plans, the ISF is to be made up of foreign contingents to ensure security in the Strip, but as things stand it is unclear who will form part of it. Israel, for example, has vetoed Turkey’s participation, whilst Turkey would like to involve the Americans. Finally, there is the key issue raised by the Italians: it is not known to whom the Carabinieri would be accountable, nor what the composition of the chain of command would be in an unstable context such as that of Gaza.

Although uncertainties remain regarding the deployment of the Carabinieri, “Stingo’s appointment as head of EUBAM Rafah resembles a quid pro quo – explains a source familiar with the matter to Il Foglio –: I’ll back you to lead the European mission and you’ll accommodate me with the Carabinieri”. What is certain is that since Eubam Rafah emerged from its standby phase last year, the leadership of the mission is now regarded as a prestigious post. The aim of the mission, established in 2005, is to monitor the identification and search procedures carried out by the Palestinian police on those crossing the border to and from Egypt. It is an extremely delicate task.