Turkish troops have no place in Gaza: Tel Aviv to Ankara

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly opposed the deployment of Turkish troops in the Gaza Strip. His spokesperson, Shosh Bedrosian, reiterated the government’s stance, telling journalists, “There will be no Turkish boots on the ground in Gaza.”

The decision comes amidst discussions of a proposed international stabilisation force, led by the Donald Trump-backed “20-point plan” to oversee the post-war transition in Gaza. That force is meant to supplement or eventually replace parts of Israel’s security role in the enclave. 

Spokesperson to the Israeli prime minister, Bedrosian, stressed that Turkiye’s participation in any future Gaza deployment is completely off limits.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar declared that Israel “will not accept the presence of Turkish armed forces in Gaza” and confirmed that this position has already been clearly communicated to US counterparts. 

The Prime Minister’s Office also maintained that there is “no disagreement” within the government on this issue, highlighting that Turkiye’s involvement in the proposed multinational plan is categorically rejected.

Read: UK deploys troops to Israel at US request to assist in Gaza Peace Plan

Turkiye, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been vocal in its support for the Palestinians and has criticised Israeli military actions in Gaza. Israeli officials view Turkiye’s potential deployment in Gaza as a national-security and political red line. 

The US proposal suggests a “temporary international stabilisation force” that would train Palestinian police, work with Egypt and Jordan, and manage parts of the postwar transition in Gaza. 

By ruling out Turkish troops, Israel is clearly signalling it must approve any foreign military presence in Gaza and that Ankara is not eligible in its view. At the same time, the international force is still not deployed and the exact list of participating countries and their mandates remain under negotiation.