Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s firm rejection on Wednesday of any Turkish military involvement in Gaza stood in contrast to US Vice President JD Vance’s comment a day earlier that Turkey could play a “constructive role” in the enclave.
The prime minister’s office said Wednesday that “there will be no Turkish involvement” in Gaza following reports that Netanyahu clashed with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad over the issue during their meeting in Jerusalem a day earlier. “There is no disagreement,” the office told the Times of Israel. “There will be no Turkish involvement.”
According to Sky News Arabia, Netanyahu “completely rejected” Turkish participation in a potential peacekeeping force in Gaza as well as the deployment of Palestinian Authority security forces trained by Egypt and Jordan. The Palestinian source quoted by the outlet said Netanyahu insisted that the “second-phase conditions” of the ceasefire — specifically the disarmament of Hamas and its relinquishment of control over Gaza — must be implemented before any discussion of postwar administration or security arrangements.
The Israeli statement came a day after Vance said the United States sees “a constructive role for the Turks” in efforts to stabilize Gaza, comments made during a press briefing at the Civilian-Military Coordination Center, established by Washington to oversee the ceasefire, in southern Israel.
Asked by a Times of Israel reporter whether Turkish troops might be deployed “on the ground here [in Israel] or in the Gaza Strip,” Vance replied, “What troops are on the ground in Israel is going to be a question the Israelis have to agree to,” adding that the United States would not “force anything on our Israeli friends” but values Turkey’s contribution.
Vance also confirmed there would be no US ground troops in Gaza and said planning continues for an international security presence tied to the ceasefire process, without naming potential contributors.
The United States has credited Turkey with helping persuade Hamas to accept the US-brokered ceasefire. Ankara has said it is ready to participate in the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) that will monitor the agreement and assist in rebuilding Gaza, either in a civilian or military capacity depending on the final mandate.
The Trump administration’s 20-point Gaza plan calls for an ISF composed of Arab and international partners to train and support vetted Palestinian police, secure border areas and oversee humanitarian aid. The ceasefire’s first phase began 12 days ago, followed by the release of the remaining living hostages from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and the freeing of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
If Israel maintains its opposition to Turkish participation, it could test Ankara’s renewed engagement in the process. The two countries restored diplomatic ties in 2022 after more than a decade of tensions stemming from Israel’s 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza that left 10 activists dead. Relations soured again after Ankara accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza during its two-year military campaign and withdrew Turkey’s ambassador.
Despite Ankara’s declared trade embargo against Israel in May 2024, hundreds of Turkish-owned vessels have continued sailing to Israeli ports under foreign flags, fueling accusations of hypocrisy on the part of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government.