In a defiant stance on Gaza’s future, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “Israel will determine” which nations are allowed to join a peacekeeping force, a move he says the US supports. This comes days after a Trump-brokered truce.
“We have made it clear… Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu said. This assertion is complicated by Hamas’s refusal to disarm.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel, confirmed this, stating the force must be “comfortable” for Israel and that Hamas will be excluded from governance.
Netanyahu has already signaled this veto would be used to block Turkey. The force’s composition is still undecided, though Egypt and Gulf states are potential candidates.
The truce is fragile. An Israeli strike on the Nuseirat camp, which Israel claimed targeted militants, was branded a “clear violation” by Hamas. Furthermore, a slow exchange of remains has prompted Donald Trump to warn Hamas.