Israel will not accept the presence of Turkish armed forces in Gaza under the US plan for a permanent end to the war in the Palestinian enclave, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said today.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan includes an international force in Gaza to help secure the fragile cease-fire that began this month, ending two years of war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas.
But it remains unclear whether Arab and other states will be ready to commit troops to the international force.
“Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should at least be fair to Israel,” Saar said at a press conference in Budapest.
The climate in the once-warm Turkey-Israel relations has been particularly tense during the Gaza war, with Turkish President Erdogan strongly criticizing Israel’s destructive air and ground operation in the tiny Palestinian enclave.
“Turkey, under Erdogan, has had a hostile approach to Israel, Saar said, speaking alongside his Hungarian counterpart Peter Siyarto. “So it is not reasonable for us to let their armed forces enter the Gaza Strip and we will not agree to that and we told our American friends that, Saar said.
While the Trump administration has ruled out sending US troops to the Gaza Strip, it is in contact with Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Azerbaijan to contribute to the multinational force.
Last week Netanyahu hinted that he would be strongly opposed to any role for Turkish security forces in Gaza. Yesterday, he said Israel would decide which foreign forces it would allow into Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to Israel, said Friday that Israelis should feel “comfortable” with members of the international force that will be created to oversee the cease-fire in Gaza. He made no comment on Turkey’s possible participation.
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