Israel reiterates opposition to Turkish troops in Gaza peacekeeping force

An Israeli government spokesperson on Sunday reiterated Tel Aviv's opposition to Turkish troops joining the multinational peacekeeping force for Gaza.

"There will be no Turkish boots on the ground," spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters in response to a question.

U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the two-year war calls for a temporary International Stabilisation Force to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli forces withdraw.

The force has yet to be established, and many countries are calling for it to have a mandate from the UN Security Council.

Other states involved in the ceasefire efforts, including Jordan, have emphasised that the force should not be expected to enforce the ceasefire or disarm Hamas. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, said on Saturday that it would not join the force until military action ends.

Asked about Israel's objections to Turkish forces in Gaza, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said at a Manama security conference earlier this month that Turkey would participate.

Vice President JD Vance last month said there would be a "constructive role" for Ankara to play but that Washington wouldn't force anything on Israel when it came to foreign troops "on their soil". 

Earlier this month, Turkey hosted a meeting of foreign ministers of Muslim states involved in the Gaza ceasefire to discuss the next steps.

"Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, the international community should support this in the best possible way - diplomatically, institutionally and economically," Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the talks.