Turkey is likely to be excluded from the planned 5,000-troop stabilization mission in the Gaza Strip, after Israel made it clear it does not want Turkish participation, diplomatic sources confirmed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “the condition is that Israel must be satisfied with the national composition of the multinational force,” which will be tasked with preventing a security vacuum as Gaza begins post-war reconstruction.
Turkey had offered to contribute troops, but Israel reportedly objected, citing strained bilateral ties and concerns over President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s close relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
The decision has sparked controversy, as Ankara is one of the guarantors of the so-called “Trump Peace Plan” and possesses one of the region’s most capable armies.
According to The Guardian, the mission is expected to be led by Egypt, with possible participation from Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. Both countries have demanded a UN Security Council mandate, though they would operate outside direct UN supervision.
The force will coordinate with the US Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), located in Kiryat Gat, Israel, which was inaugurated on Tuesday by US Vice President JD Vance. The CMCC, which includes advisers from the UK, France, Jordan, and the UAE, will have both military and humanitarian roles, despite major border crossings to Gaza remaining closed.
The stabilization mission’s objectives include disarming Hamas and facilitating the creation of a transitional Palestinian government. While talks on its formation continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah have reached an agreement in Cairo to form a temporary committee of independent experts to manage essential services in Gaza.
Turkey’s disaster relief agency AFAD, with 81 personnel and search-and-rescue dogs, remains awaiting Israeli authorization to enter Gaza from Egypt.
President Erdoğan criticized the exclusion, saying:
“The United States must do more to compel Israel to respect its obligations under Trump’s peace plan,”
including potential sanctions and arms sales bans.
Rubio, on the other hand, declared that “there is no place for UNRWA in Gaza,” calling it “a branch of Hamas.” His remarks drew sharp criticism from Europe, the United Nations, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ruled this week that UNRWA remains irreplaceable in delivering humanitarian aid and that Israel has provided no evidence of “irreversible infiltration” by Hamas.
The US–Israeli position against UNRWA presents a dilemma, as the Trump peace plan envisions a UN-led humanitarian role in Gaza — yet explicitly excludes UNRWA, the agency responsible for most aid operations.
Norway is preparing a new UN General Assembly proposal demanding that Israel allow uninterrupted humanitarian access to Gaza. Under Trump’s plan, 600 aid trucks per day were to enter the territory; currently, only about 89 are allowed — just 14% of the intended volume.
UNRWA condemned Israel’s actions, stating:
“Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has experienced a surge in violence. Families live in fear and uncertainty. The illegal annexation of the West Bank continues and must stop. The future of Gaza and the West Bank is shared.”
After visiting Gaza, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said:
“It felt as though I was walking through the ruins of Hiroshima, Stalingrad, or Dresden.”
Meanwhile, Hamas announced on Friday that it had received clear guarantees from mediators that the war is effectively over, and, together with Fatah, signed an agreement to form a temporary administrative body — supported by Arab states and international organizations — to oversee basic governance in Gaza.
