Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will determine which foreign troops are acceptable to participate in a planned multinational force in the Gaza Strip, a key element of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan aimed at stabilizing the war-torn enclave.
“We are in control of our security, and we have made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu told his cabinet in televised remarks.
“This is how we operate and will continue to operate. This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well,” he added.
The comments come as Washington pushes for an international stabilization force to support a fragile truce that began two weeks ago, the first step in Trump’s 20-point peace framework.
The U.S. has ruled out sending its own troops but has been in talks with Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to contribute personnel.
However, the proposal faces hurdles. Hamas has so far refused to disarm as required under the plan, and several potential contributors have expressed uncertainty about their roles.
Israel, meanwhile, has voiced objections to the inclusion of certain nations, particularly Turkey, whose relations with Israel have sharply deteriorated since the Gaza war.
Last week, Netanyahu signaled opposition to any Turkish involvement, accusing President Tayyip Erdogan of inflaming tensions with his condemnation of Israel’s military campaign.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel on Friday to reinforce the truce, said the international force must consist of “countries that Israel’s comfortable with,” but declined to comment on Turkey’s participation.
Rubio also said discussions were underway with partners, including Qatar, on a possible U.N. resolution to authorize the deployment. He emphasized that Gaza’s postwar administration “cannot include Hamas.”
Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high. Israel says Hamas continues to obstruct efforts to locate the remains of 13 deceased hostages still held in Gaza.
“Israel is aware that Hamas knows where our deceased hostages are,” an Israeli government spokesperson said, adding that Hamas “could retrieve the remains if it made more of an effort.”
To aid the search, Israel has allowed an Egyptian technical team and the Red Cross into Gaza to assist with excavation efforts beyond the “yellow line,” the buffer zone Israeli forces established as part of the Trump-backed truce.
Opening Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu dismissed claims that Washington dictates Israeli policy. “Israel is an independent country,” he said. “The American administration does not control me or determine Israel’s security policy. We are partners.”
Diplomatic sources say Trump personally pressured Netanyahu to accept the ceasefire and to apologize to Qatar’s emir following an Israeli strike that narrowly missed Hamas negotiators there.
The U.S. president also urged Arab states to press Hamas to release all Israeli hostages, a key step in advancing his broader Middle East peace plan.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
