The United States ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, is urging Turkish participation in a planned international security force for Gaza, putting Washington at odds with Israel at a time when the Israeli army continues to kill Palestinians despite a formal ceasefire.
Barrack, a close confidant of US President Donald Trump, told a Jerusalem Post conference in Washington on Wednesday that Turkey’s large army and its political channels to Hamas would make Ankara’s involvement in the United Nations-mandated International Stabilization Force (ISF) “beneficial.”
The ISF is part of Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” announced in September and accepted in principle by Israel and Hamas in October. The October 10 ceasefire ended large-scale bombardment but has not stopped Palestinian deaths.
UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted on November 17, endorses a US-chaired transitional authority for Gaza and authorizes the ISF to provide security, train a new Palestinian police force and oversee demilitarization and reconstruction. Drafts circulated at the UN describe a 20,000-member force with a two-year mandate and authority to use force if needed. The United States will not send ground troops but plans to appoint a US commander.
Gaza’s health ministry reported 383 Palestinians killed and hundreds wounded since the truce. Rights groups say Israeli forces have committed repeated violations, including drone strikes and sniper fire. One recent case involved the killing of 3-year-old Ahed Tareq al-Bayouk near Rafah.
🇮🇱🇺🇸🇹🇷 President Trump ambassador to Turkey tells me at the @Jerusalem_Post conference that Turkey should be a part of the Gaza international force (ISF): "Our suggestion was that since the Turks have the largest and most effective ground troop operation in the region, and since… pic.twitter.com/VrTai1hcLV
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) December 10, 2025
Israel has stated repeatedly that Turkish soldiers will not be allowed in Gaza. Officials cite Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s harsh public criticism of Israeli policy and say any troop contributor must be acceptable to Israel. Israeli spokespeople now echo a single line: “There will be no Turkish boots on the ground.”
Barrack previously brushed off high-level trading of barbs between Erdoğan’s government and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as just “rhetoric” and expressed hope that Turkish-Israeli ties would improve in the future.
Ankara has said it is prepared to take part if there is an agreement on the mandate. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said the first task should be to separate Israeli troops and Hamas fighters. President Erdoğan has said Turkey can support Gaza “in any form,” and the defense ministry has begun drawing up plans for a possible deployment.
US officials say the roster of troop contributors is not final. Indonesia, Pakistan and Azerbaijan are among the countries mentioned in early drafts, though some governments are reluctant to send troops into a high-risk environment. Israel continues to press the United States to exclude Turkey.
Hamas accepted the ceasefire but rejected Resolution 2803 and opposes the ISF. It says any force that tries to disarm Palestinian fighters will be treated as an occupier.