Turkey – Israel Tensions Escalate Over Gaza Peacekeeping Force
Key Facts
- Trump’s Gaza peace plan includes a two-year International Stabilization Force (ISF).
- Turkey seeks a leading role, but Israel firmly oppose Turkish troop involvement.
- Ankara issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, escalating diplomatic hostilities.
- Hamas returned the remains of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin amid reports of side-deal attempts.
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – A war of words erupted between Turkey and Israel this week as plans advanced for an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza under President Donald Trump’s U.S.-brokered peace plan — a force intended to oversee the fragile ceasefire, disarm Hamas, and restore stability to the war-torn enclave.
The Trump administration’s proposal, now circulating at the United Nations Security Council, envisions a two-year ISF deployment to secure Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt, maintain humanitarian corridors, and train local security forces. However, the plan has already triggered fierce opposition from both Ankara and Jerusalem for very different reasons.
Stage One: Hostage Exchange and Ceasefire
Stage one of the Trump peace initiative began with the exchange of the final 20 Israeli hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners — including roughly 250 life prisoners and 1,700 detained since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist assault on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. That exchange was coupled with a tenuous ceasefire that remains in effect, though frequently violated by Hamas.
The next stage — the disarmament of Hamas and establishment of a multinational peacekeeping presence — has become a flashpoint.
Turkey Pushes for Role in Gaza
Reports from Turkish and Middle Eastern media indicate that Turkey is preparing to deploy thousands of troops as part of the ISF, hoping to secure a major role in Gaza’s postwar future. Turkish Defense Ministry sources claim over 2,000 soldiers are already mobilized for potential deployment.
Yet both the U.S. and Israel have resisted the proposal. “There will be no Turkish boots on the ground,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said bluntly during a press conference.
Washington has likewise made clear that any countries participating in the ISF must be approved jointly with Israel. U.S. officials have emphasized that no foreign troops will deploy to Gaza without Jerusalem’s explicit consent.
Ankara’s Hostility and “Genocide” Warrants
Relations between Turkey and Israel — strained for years — have deteriorated further as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped up attacks on Israel while praising Hamas.
This week, Ankara issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing them of “genocide.” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blasted the move as “ridiculous.”
“Take those ridiculous arrest warrants and get the hell out of here,” Katz said in a fiery post on X. “They’re more fitting for the massacres you’ve committed against the Kurds. Israel is strong and unafraid. You’ll only be able to see Gaza through binoculars.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the Turkish warrants “the latest PR stunt by the tyrant Erdogan,” underscoring the growing hostility between the two nations.
Concerns Over Turkey’s Hamas Ties
Israel and U.S. officials view Turkey’s attempt to join the ISF with deep suspicion. Ankara has long provided refuge, funding, and diplomatic access to Hamas leaders — actions that Western intelligence services say helped sustain the group’s operations. Analysts warn that Turkey’s participation could “shield Hamas” rather than help disarm it.
Side Deal Controversy
Reports have also surfaced that Turkey attempted to broker a side deal allowing 200 Hamas operatives trapped in Rafah tunnels to escape in exchange for the remains of fallen Israeli soldier Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, killed in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge. Hamas returned Goldin’s body to Israel on Sunday, but Israel has refused any separate arrangement without coordination with the Trump administration.
Israel Retains Control Beyond the “Yellow Line”
Under stage one of Trump’s peace plan, Israel withdrew to a defensive boundary known as the “yellow line,” maintaining control over 53 percent of Gaza’s territory. The remaining 47 percent — where most of the enclave’s population resides — remains under Hamas’s internal crackdown as the group tightens control.
For now, Israel and the U.S. are holding firm: no Turkish troops, no unilateral Hamas deals, and no peacekeeping force that compromises Israel’s security.
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