Israel won’t allow Turkey to be part of an international force in Gaza, its top diplomat says

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Israel will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international peace force that the United States is seeking to create to oversee the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Israel’s top diplomat said Monday.

The 20-point truce deal brokered by President Trump earlier this month envisages an international task force to monitor the ceasefire but does not mention which countries would provide the troops.

It only says the U.S. would “work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force” that would deploy in Gaza. The force would train and provide support to “vetted Palestinian police forces” in Gaza, and will “consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field.”

The creation of the task force is currently underway, according U.S. officials. But the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has not yet begun, Israeli officials said.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to Hungary, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel opposes the participation of Turkey because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long-standing hostility to Israel. Saar said Israel has communicated its opposition to Turkey’s military involvement to U.S. officials.

“Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should be at least fair to Israel,” Saar said. He did not elaborate.

U.S. officials have said there would be no American boots on the ground in Gaza. During their visits to Israel last week, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said multiple countries would be interested in joining an international force that would deploy to Gaza and train a Palestinian police force for the future.

The U.S. was working to secure a U.N. mandate or other international authorization for the force, Rubio said.

Turkey is seen by many as a strong contender for the force due to its close ties with the Palestinian militant Hamas group that is supposed to disarm under the ceasefire deal. Turkey also once had strong diplomatic relations with Israel, though they have been at an all-time low over the war in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Erdogan has criticized Israel, and particularly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with strident rhetoric since the start of the Gaza war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, accusing Israel of genocide and comparing Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Hamas political officials regularly visit Turkey, and Israel previously accused Turkey of allowing Hamas to plan attacks from its territory, as well as carry out recruitment and fundraising.

Saar’s comments on Monday echoed remarks made by Netanyahu during a government meeting on Sunday.

“Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days.”

Earlier this month, Turkey — one of the most active contributors of aid to Gaza — appointed a special coordinator to oversee humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Turkish organizations, including the Red Crescent and the emergency response agency AFAD, are making preparations toward reconstruction efforts, medical relief, and infrastructure restoration, officials said.

Spike and Brito write for the Associated Press. Brito and AP journalists Josef Federman in Jerusalem, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.