Turkiye ready to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza despite Israel's opposition
Illustrative photo: Türkiye's military (Getty Images)
Türkiye has declared its willingness to send military forces to the Gaza Strip, even if Israel opposes such a move, and says it expects backing from the United States, according to Bloomberg.
The question of Türkiye’s participation in the International Stabilization Forces (ISF) remains highly contentious. Israel is firmly opposed to any involvement of Turkish troops.
"Turkey, led by Erdogan, led a hostile approach against Israel," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said last month, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "So it is not reasonable for us to let their armed forces enter the Gaza Strip, we will not agree to that, and we said it to our American friends."
Despite this, the US supports Türkiye’s participation in the ISF, the force created after a ceasefire was brokered by Ankara, Egypt, and Qatar last month. The deployment would include combat and engineering units.
Türkiye, in turn, expects the US to restrain further Israeli military actions in Gaza until the international forces are fully deployed. Turkish officials note that most of the personnel planned for the mission would be Muslim.
Türkiye-Israel relations
Tensions between the two states escalated after the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza. Israel has accused Ankara of supporting Palestinian militants, while Türkiye criticizes Israel for killing tens of thousands of civilians.
US officials say other countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan, have also shown interest in joining the stabilization mission. Their role would be to maintain order during the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the establishment of an interim administration.
Türkiye and its partners insist that they must first see US guarantees of restraining Israeli attacks and a clarified mandate for the mission before sending their forces. According to Hamas, Israel has killed around 300 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, while Israel claims its actions are responses to attacks that resulted in the deaths of Israeli soldiers.
The situation remains tense: Türkiye is pushing for a leading role in Gaza’s stabilization, the US supports the idea, but without Israeli consent, the plan faces major obstacles.
Earlier, Türkiye’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he would hold talks on Monday, 24 November, with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, to discuss paths to peace in Ukraine and the possible revival of the grain deal.
