Israeli minister says will not accept presence of Turkish forces in Gaza

Israel will not permit Turkish troops to take part in any multinational force deployed in Gaza under a US-backed proposal to stabilize the territory, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest alongside Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Saar said Israel had made its position clear to Washington. “Countries willing to send forces must at least be fair toward Israel,” he stated, adding that Ankara’s stance during the Gaza conflict had been “hostile.”

“Turkey, under President Tayyip Erdogan, adopted an aggressive approach against Israel,” Saar said. “Therefore, it is unreasonable for us to allow their armed forces to enter Gaza, and we have conveyed this to our American friends.”

Relations between Israel and Turkey, once close allies, have sharply deteriorated since the outbreak of the Gaza war, as Erdogan has repeatedly condemned Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.

The United States has been consulting with several countries — including Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Azerbaijan — on forming a potential peacekeeping or stabilization mission in Gaza, though Washington has ruled out deploying American soldiers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week signaled his opposition to any Turkish participation, saying Israel would decide which foreign troops could operate in Gaza. During his visit to Israel on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that any international force must consist of “countries that Israel is comfortable with,” without specifying Turkey’s role.