Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would decide which foreign forces could take part in a proposed international mission in Gaza, aimed at maintaining a fragile ceasefire under U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
While Washington has ruled out sending American troops, it has approached Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to join the multinational force. However, doubts remain about whether these countries will commit troops, as Hamas refuses to disarm and Israel has voiced concerns about who will participate.
“We are in control of our security,” Netanyahu told his cabinet. “Israel will determine which international forces are unacceptable to us, and this has been understood and accepted by the United States.”
The plan comes after Israel’s two-year siege of Gaza following Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. Despite the ceasefire, Israel still controls all access to the enclave.
Netanyahu has also indicated his opposition to Turkey’s involvement, citing deteriorating relations since the war. During a visit to Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the force must be composed of “countries that Israel is comfortable with,” though he declined to comment on Turkey’s potential role.
Rubio added that discussions on Gaza’s governance are ongoing, emphasizing that Hamas would have no place in future administration. He also said U.S. officials are working with Qatar and other partners to draft a possible U.N. resolution authorizing the multinational force.
A key obstacle to Trump’s 20-point peace plan is Hamas’s refusal to disarm. Since the ceasefire began two weeks ago, the group has also cracked down on rival clans challenging its authority.
Meanwhile, Israel claims Hamas knows the locations of 13 deceased hostages still in Gaza. An Israeli spokesperson said Hamas has failed to recover their remains despite knowing where they are. Egypt has sent a technical team to work with the Red Cross to help locate the bodies.
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s independence, rejecting suggestions that the U.S. dictates its security policy. However, analysts say Trump successfully pushed Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire framework, apologize to Qatar’s leader after a failed airstrike, and engage in broader regional diplomacy for peace.
