Reports suggest that Turkey is unlikely to be included in the proposed 5,000-member multinational force that will be deployed in Gaza to prevent a postwar power vacuum. This comes after Israel reportedly signalled its opposition to the participation of Turkish troops.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the composition of the stabilisation force will depend on Israel’s comfort with the nationalities involved, as the mission’s goal is to maintain security during Gaza’s reconstruction phase. Although Turkey has expressed readiness to contribute troops, Israel has reportedly conveyed its disapproval of their inclusion.
Observers note that relations between Israel and Turkey have been strained, particularly over issues in Syria, and that President Recep Erdoğan is viewed by the Israeli government as being too close to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, the Guardian reported.
Analysts also pointed out that leaving Turkey out of the mission could prove contentious, given its status as one of the guarantors of the Trump-brokered 20-point ceasefire and its reputation as having one of the strongest militaries in the Muslim world.
Despite the diplomatic tensions, reports indicate that Egypt is still expected to lead the stabilisation force.
Sources indicated that countries like Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, which are expected to contribute to the stabilisation force, still favour the idea of granting the mission a UN Security Council mandate, even if it does not formally operate as a UN peacekeeping mission.
Instead, the force will work in coordination with a US-led military unit known as the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), located in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. The CMCC, composed of a small contingent of British, French, Jordanian, and Emirati advisers, was officially inaugurated on Tuesday by US Vice-President JD Vance.
The unit is also expected to take on responsibilities related to aid coordination in Gaza, though major humanitarian crossings reportedly remain closed.
According to officials, the stabilisation force’s main objectives include disarming Hamas and ensuring the security of a transitional Palestinian administration, the composition of which continues to be debated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any role for the Palestinian Authority in postwar governance, while Palestinian factions announced on Friday that they had agreed to form an independent committee of technocrats to manage Gaza’s administration.
Rubio also stated that the UN's Palestinian relief works agency, UNRWA, could not play a role in Gaza because it is a "subsidiary of Hamas".
His comments will put him at odds with numerous European countries, the UN, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which stated in an advisory opinion last week that the UNRWA was an indispensable instrument for distributing aid within Gaza.
The ICJ rejected Israel's claim that it had produced unequivocal evidence that Hamas had irretrievably infiltrated UNRWA.