Uganda and Burundi Military Officers Conduct Pre-Deployment Site Survey in Rafah

Senior military officers from Uganda and Burundi visited Rafah in southern Gaza on August 18, 2026 for a 'pre-deployment site survey' amid preliminary talks with the Israeli defense establishment about contributing troops to the planned International Stabilization Force (ISF). The visit followed talks at the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat. Uganda had already announced approval to deploy troops under the Board of Peace's 20-point postwar plan; Burundi was at a more preliminary discussion stage. An Israeli security source told Channel 12 that, 'against the backdrop of the political situation, we do not expect any progress toward an agreement in the Gaza Strip,' with officials not anticipating a dramatic move on Gaza before Israel's October 27 elections.