Israeli government spokesperson rules out Turkish forces in Gaza

JERUSALEM — An Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday that Turkish soldiers would not be deployed to Gaza as part of a multinational force that is meant to take over from the Israeli military.

“There will be no Turkish boots on the ground,” spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters in response to a question.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year war calls for a temporary International Stabilization Force to gradually take over security of Gaza from the Israeli military.

The force has yet to be established and many countries are calling for it to have a mandate from the U.N. Security Council.

Asked about Israel’s objections to Turkish forces in Gaza, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said at a Manama security conference earlier this month that Turkey would participate.

Vice President JD Vance last month said there would be a “constructive role” for Ankara to play but that Washington wouldn’t force anything on Israel when it came to foreign troops “on their soil.”