Key points
- Hamas refuses to disarm under Trump’s plan
- Israel opposes Turkish participation in Gaza force
- 13 Israeli hostages’ remains still in Gaza
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would determine which foreign forces could participate in an international peacekeeping mission in Gaza, intended to help uphold a fragile ceasefire under US President Donald Trump’s plan.
The involvement of other nations remains uncertain, particularly because Hamas has refused to disarm as stipulated in the plan. Israel also has concerns about which countries could contribute troops to the force, reports Reuters.
While the Trump administration has excluded sending US soldiers into Gaza, it has engaged with nations including Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to contribute to the multinational force.
“We are in control of our security, and we have also made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will continue to operate,” Netanyahu told his cabinet.
“This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days,” he added.
Since the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas following the latter’s attack on October 7, 2023, Israel has controlled all access to Gaza, maintaining a siege for over two years.
Israel opposes Turkish involvement
Last week, Netanyahu indicated his opposition to any potential role for Turkish security forces in Gaza. Diplomatic tensions between Israel and Turkiye have worsened since the Gaza conflict, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan strongly criticising Israel’s military actions in the region.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to Israel, said that the multinational force must consist of countries that Israel is “comfortable with,” though he did not comment on Turkish participation. Rubio also emphasised that the future governance of Gaza must exclude Hamas, with discussions still needed among Israel and its partners.
Rubio mentioned that US officials were working on a possible UN resolution or international agreement to authorise the multinational force, with discussions scheduled for Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza, on Sunday.
Hamas’ refusal to disarm
A major challenge to Trump’s plan is Hamas’ refusal to disarm, as required under the ceasefire agreement.
The remains of 13 Israeli hostages who died during the October 2023 assault are still in Gaza, with Hamas claiming difficulties in locating them amid the extensive rubble caused by the fighting. An Israeli government spokesperson stated on Sunday that Hamas knows the location of the deceased hostages.
“Israel is aware that Hamas knows where our deceased hostages are, in fact, located. If Hamas made more of an effort, they would be able to retrieve the remains of our hostages,” the spokesperson said.
Despite this, Israel allowed an Egyptian technical team, in collaboration with the Red Cross, to search for the bodies, with the team using heavy machinery and trucks to search beyond the “yellow line” in Gaza, behind which Israeli forces initially withdrew under Trump’s plan.
Netanyahu asserts Israel’s independence
Netanyahu opened the cabinet meeting by reinforcing Israel’s autonomy, rejecting the suggestion that the US controls Israeli security policy. He stated that Israel and the US are in a “partnership,” emphasising the independent nature of Israel’s decisions.
Diplomats and analysts suggest that Trump’s influence has persuaded Netanyahu, who had long resisted global calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, to accept his broader peace framework. Trump also reportedly convinced Netanyahu to apologise to Qatar’s leader after a failed Israeli bombing raid targeting Hamas negotiators in the Gulf nation.
