Embittered over Türkiye's opposition to its genocidal policies, Israel does not consent to the presence of Turkish troops in Gaza. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said they won't accept the presence of Turkish forces in Gaza under a U.S. peace plan. Saar noted Türkiye's "hostile" approach, citing that Türkiye imposed diplomatic and economic sanctions against his country, without mentioning the cause of the sanctions.
Since the escalation of violence in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Türkiye has emerged as one of the most active countries supporting the Palestinian people and a fervent opponent of the genocidal Netanyahu administration. The new round of conflict, which came amid an attempt at rapprochement in sour ties between Türkiye and Israel, put the two countries at odds once again. Unlike previous instances of downgrade in relations, again, over Israel's attacks on Palestinians, Türkiye pursued more efforts to stop Israel, be it through diplomacy or through cutting off all trade with the country.
Türkiye fully halted all export, import and transit trade transactions with Israel as of May 2, 2024. It also banned Israeli-flagged and Israeli-owned or affiliated vessels from entering Turkish ports. Foreign-flagged vessels carrying military cargo bound for Israel are also not permitted to dock. Only vessels carrying aid or trade bound for Palestine, with documentation verified by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy, are allowed entry, subject to strict checks.
U.S. President Donald Trump's plan includes an international force in Gaza to help secure a fragile cease-fire, which began this month, halting two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
But it remains unclear whether Arab and other states will be ready to commit troops to the international force. "Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should be at least fair to Israel," Saar said at a news conference in Budapest.
Saar said they conveyed their opposition to the Turkish presence to their "American friends."
While the Trump administration has ruled out sending U.S. soldiers into the Gaza Strip, it has been speaking to Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and Azerbaijan to contribute to the multinational force.
Last week, Netanyahu hinted that he would strongly oppose any role for Turkish security forces in Gaza. On Sunday, he said Israel would decide which foreign forces to allow in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to Israel aimed at shoring up the truce, said on Friday the international force would have to be made up of "countries that Israel's comfortable with." He did not comment on Turkish involvement.
