Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel will determine which foreign troops are acceptable to participate in the planned international security force in the Gaza Strip under the U.S. peace initiative.
The planned deployment represents a key pillar of Donald Trump’s cease-fire and reconstruction package for Gaza, but Israel’s insistence on having final say over troop composition shows how sensitive the move is.
Netanyahu told his cabinet: “We are in control of our security … Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will continue to operate.” He added that this position is “of course, acceptable to the United States” after senior U.S. representatives expressed support for Israel’s security prerogatives.
While the U.S. has ruled out sending its own soldiers into Gaza, the proposed multinational force could draw troops from countries such as Egypt, Indonesia and Gulf Arab states.
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Earlier this month, Netanyahu flagged his opposition to any role for Turkey’s security forces in Gaza, saying he had “very strong opinions about that. Want to guess what they are?” when asked about Turkish involvement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signalled that the force must consist of “countries that Israel’s comfortable with,” without publicly specifying whether Turkey would qualify.
The force is part of a wider U.S.-led effort to stabilise Gaza, coordinate humanitarian aid and reconstruct the enclave following two years of war. However, key obstacles persist: Arab and other states have yet to commit troops, and the militant Hamas has not agreed to disarm, a precondition for the force’s deployment.
Netanyahu pushed back firmly against any suggestion that Washington pulls the strings on Israel’s security choices. He said Israel works closely with the United States and values the alliance, yet its military decisions are made in Jerusalem and nowhere else. “We are a partnership with the United States,” he said, “but we are an independent country and no one dictates to us our security policy.” He stressed that Israel will act according to its own assessment of threats, especially in Gaza, even as it continues to coordinate with American officials who are trying to keep the fragile truce alive.