Israel has said it will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international force proposed by the US to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza.
The deal brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier this month calls for a temporary stabilisation force to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of war, but does not mention which countries would provide armed forces.
The US plan said the force would train and support “vetted Palestinian police forces” and will “consult with Jordan and Egypt, who have extensive experience in this field”.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to Hungary, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Monday that Israel opposes the participation of Turkish troops in Gaza.
“Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should be at least fair to Israel,” Sa’ar said at a press conference in Budapest.
“Turkey, led by Erdoğan, led a hostile approach against Israel,” he added. “So it is not reasonable for us to let their armed forces enter the Gaza Strip, we will not agree to that and we said it to our American friends.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week that his country was “ready to provide all kinds of support to Gaza.”
Turkey once had strong diplomatic relations with Israel, though they have been at an all-time low over the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Erdoğan has criticised Israel, and particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, since the start of the war. He has accused Israel of genocide, which the Israeli government strongly denies.
Turkey doesn’t consider Hamas to be a terrorist organisation and frames its close ties with the group as part of its broader support for the Palestinians.
At a summit in Egypt two weeks ago, Erdoğan was one of four leaders to sign a document outlining Trump’s vision for Gaza and regional peace. The others were Trump, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
US officials have said there would be no American boots on the ground in Gaza. Around 200 US troops are now in Israel working alongside its military and other countries’ delegations at a coordination centre, planning Gaza’s stabilisation and reconstruction.
During a visit to Israel last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said multiple nations would be interested in joining the international force for Gaza, but that it would have to be made up of “countries that Israel’s comfortable with.”
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement is still being carried out and focuses on the release of the remaining dead hostages in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian bodies held by Israel.