The Gaza stabilisation force will have to consist of countries with which Israel is comfortable as well, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio said, after reports that Israel vetoed Turkey’s participation in the force.
Rubio, who was in Israel on Friday, when asked by a journalist about reports that the US accepted the Israeli veto of Turkish troops in the Gaza stabilisation force, said he wouldn’t go into such details.
“We haven’t formed that force yet, there is still work going on, a lot of countries offered to do it, obviously, as we put this force together, it will have to be countries with which Israel is comfortable as well”, he said. He added that “a lot of countries” were expressing interest right now, and that it was important for these countries to know what they were signing up for, hence the work currently being carried out to work out the details concering the force and their mandate, under what authority they will be operating, and the rules of engagement, among other things.
Turkey is one of the guarantors of US President Trump’s 20-point ceasefire agreement.