"Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. For peace is a process."
John F Kennedy's words in 1963 reverberate more than 60 years later and ring true for many countries weighing up their contributions when it comes to the reconstruction and securing the security of war-torn Gaza.
One of the objectives in US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan is for the establishment of a new International Stablisation Force (ISF) to secure peace in the enclave, including training and supporting a new Palestinian police force.
However, there is no clear indication of what form any such security force will take, or when.
For Ireland, the idea of a peacekeeping mission in the territory has not been totally shelved.
On the Opposition benches, Labour TD for Dublin South-West Ciarán Ahern told RTÉ's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin that Irish peacekeepers were in a good position to take on a possible Gaza peacekeeping mission.
Former leaders within the Defence Forces said this could be an opportunity for the force, albeit with some caveats.
Transition from Lebanon to Gaza 'viable'
Former Chief of Staff at the Defence Forces Mark Mellett said that while the Irish Defence Forces are not in the business of touting for opportunities, Ireland has built credibility in the region, and that a transition from southern Lebanon to Gaza is "viable".
Ireland's established peacekeeping reputation follows a decades-long involvement in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The operation will be brought to a close in 2027, which will significantly impact the Defence Forces' activity as it's the only big overseas posting for Irish soldiers with more than 300 troops deployed.
Retired Vice Admiral Mellett said that such a stabilisation force will be a vital component of any strategy aimed at establishing the norms and principles for a civil society in Gaza.
The Defence Forces' experience in Chad and Liberia could bring valuable expertise, according to Garry McKeon, who spent nearly 40 years in the Defence Forces and helped build missions in Africa.
"I do believe there are enough people who would have been on those deployments to Liberia and Chad that would have a good experience to bring the younger [people] through," said the Retired Col.
The former Chief of Staff for the Irish and Finnish battalions in UNIFIL said the strength lies in the Irish approach and its highly professional operators.
"They bring to the table a huge amount of common sense. In other words, how are we going to do this," he said.
"That gets the mission achieved, and at the same time, if you'll excuse my French, doesn't p*ss people off."
Significant obstacles remain
However, there are significant obstacles.
Timing, access to capabilities, the future of Hamas and local government all pose challenges for the establishment and maintenance of a peacekeeping force, as many details have not been hammered out.
A peacekeeping force would possibly support the dismantling of Hamas' military infrastructure, including tunnels and weapons production facilities.
Mr Mellett said there are "tremendous risks" when it comes to Gaza.
He expressed concern about the group's suspected resistance to an interim government authority and said it is necessary for local administration to be in place to provide partnership and peace.
According to media reports, Hamas has already started deploying armed fighters and police across Gaza in an apparent attempt to reassert authority.
"It’s not something that will be a smooth ride," he said.
"It doesn't appear that Hamas agrees with a stabilisation force. They could pose a permanent threat," added Mark Mellett.
He also said that the Defence Forces would need appropriate capabilities to conduct such an operation, including drones, surveillance and heavy protection in terms of its own armour.
Another issue could be how a peacekeeping force would be established.
Mr Mellett said a UN mandate would "absolutely" be needed for the mission, "otherwise it becomes a force of target, and it doesn't have a peacekeeping mandate".
"We all know the UN is weakened but we can't ignore it. It's about legitimacy and authority," he said.
France, Germany pushing for UN to establish stability in Gaza
France and Germany have been pushing for the UN to play a role in establishing stability in Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country will "work diplomatically" at the UN HQ in New York to "build the international framework" for a security force in Gaza.
But support from the Trump administration for the United Nations' involvement is not guaranteed, and the US president's peace plan mentions no role for the UN other than the distribution of aid.
In a statement, the Department of Defence said that any future deployment of personnel overseas is considered on a case-by-case basis.
"The changing nature of demands and potential future mission profiles, including risk assessments underpinned by military advice, need to be considered in the context of assets and capabilities which can be made available by the Defence Forces for overseas deployment, given existing operational demands at home and overseas," it said.
As the international community begins to consider what's next after this devastating war, the process of peace requires collective action of many nations and a continuous effort to address new challenges.
Where Ireland fits into that action depends on many circumstances.
Retired Col McKeon said he predicts the reconstruction of Gaza to take 25 to 30 years.
"The military goes in, and what that does is it stabilises the country. It gives security guarantees to all the actors that are there," he said.
"If you have police trained up, then they can start policing the country, and that's very important. The police is closely followed by the judiciary and, etc, etc.
"There's a number of phases in rebuilding countries," he added.
"It does remind me of what happened in Afghanistan and the challenge there for whoever succeeded the Taliban," Mr Mellett said.
"This is an international obligation, and somebody has to do it. The reality is that there is no other option.
"Something has to be done."
