Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted that he opposes any Turkish participation to monitor compliance with the US-backed Gaza truce with the Palestinian armed group "Hamas", which is supported by the US, Reuters quoted BTA as saying.
In a statement in Jerusalem, made in the presence of US Vice President J.D. Vance, Netanyahu said they discussed “the day after“ for Gaza, including who could guarantee security in the Palestinian territory devastated by two years of war.
Vance, who said yesterday that US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan was progressing better than expected, expressed renewed optimism. "I never said it was easy. But I am optimistic that the ceasefire will hold and that we can actually build a better future for the entire Middle East," he said.
Having reached a truce, the mediators are focusing on the second phase of Trump's Gaza plan, which calls for Hamas to be disarmed and provides for the deployment of an international stabilization force to train and support a vetted Palestinian police force.
In response to a question about the idea of a Turkish force to monitor security in Gaza, Netanyahu said: "We will decide together on this issue. I have a very strong opinion on that. Want to guess what it is?“
The US vice president said yesterday that Turkey could play a “constructive role“ as the ceasefire moves to the next stage of the plan.
After relations between NATO member Turkey and Israel hit a new low during the Gaza war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sharply criticized Israeli strikes in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Turkey, which helped convince "Hamas" to accept Trump's ceasefire plan, said it would participate in the international monitoring group to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and that its armed forces could carry out military or civilian activities if necessary.
Two weeks ago, Erdogan said Turkey could play a role "on the ground", and a senior official told Reuters that the country would participate in a joint task force - along with Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt - set up to recover the bodies of the dead hostages in Gaza whose whereabouts are unknown.
The ceasefire began 12 days ago, as part of the first phase of Trump's plan. It was followed by the release of the remaining living hostages taken in the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners by Israel. But the truce remains fragile, with flare-ups of violence and mutual accusations over the pace of returning hostage bodies, delivering aid and opening the border.
Since the truce began, Israeli forces have killed at least 87 Palestinians, including civilians, according to Hamas-appointed Gaza health officials.
Two Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza were killed by Palestinian militants over the weekend.
The Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, and another 251 were taken hostage in Gaza. Israeli strikes in response have killed more than 68,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials, Reuters recalls.