Turkey hopes the US-backed International Stabilization Force in Gaza will guarantee that the ceasefire remains intact.
“Turkey’s main expectation from a planned International Stabilization Force in Gaza is for it to provide guarantees that the fragile ceasefire will last, its Defense Ministry said on Thursday,” Reuters reported Thursday.
Many conflicting reports this week focused on the US role in Gaza. The US is seeking a UN resolution to back an International Stabilization Force for Gaza as well as a Board of Peace.
This complex framework is being backed by US personnel in Israel.
“At a briefing in Ankara, the [Turkish Defense Ministry] also said Turkey believed the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) must ensure unhindered humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza in line with international law,” Reuters reported.
The CMCC is an important part of the new US initiative. US officials have visited the site near Kiryat Gat.
It was created after the ceasefire was agreed to on October 8 in Sinai. The ceasefire was in place by October 13, and CENTCOM mentioned the CMCC on October 17.
Turkey is a member of NATO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a warm relationship with US President Donald Trump.
Turkey is ready to send troops to the Gaza stabilization force
Ankara has hosted Hamas in the past, and its backing for the ceasefire appeared key to getting Hamas to agree.
There are now controversies about Hamas members stuck in a tunnel in Rafah. Could they be evacuated to Turkey? This could be a model for disarming Hamas as well.
Conflicting media reports this week also mentioned meetings with the Israel-backed Gaza armed group run by a man nicknamed Abu Shabab. In addition, US envoy Jared Kushner was in Israel this week for meetings about the ceasefire.
Other reports also indicated the US might want to expand a base in Israel. Those reports were denied. This shows how Gaza is still a hot-button issue, and many rumors are swirling.
Turkey has been one of the “most vocal critics of Israel’s devastating two-year assault on Gaza, calling it a genocide,” Reuters reported. “It has emerged as a critical player and mediator in ceasefire efforts, voicing a desire to join the stabilization force despite Israel’s repeated objections.”
Israel has, in turn, objected to Turkey sending forces to Gaza. Nevertheless, Ankara seems like it is ready to send thousands of personnel if it is asked to. Other countries have stepped back from sending or contributing forces.
The force in Gaza “will be under unified command and will cooperate with Egypt and Israel and it will include trained Palestinian police,” people familiar with the matter told Saudi Arabia-based news channels Al Arabiya and Al Hadath. It will maintain the borders and security in the sector, they said.
“The international force in Gaza will be authorized to take all measures to carry out its tasks,” one of the sources said, adding that it “will work to disarm and destroy the military infrastructure in the sector. This international force will also protect civilians and humanitarian operations, and will help monitor the ceasefire and implement the plan of US President Donald Trump.”
The international force in Gaza will be funded “by donors and governments,” one of the sources told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath.