Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apparently had to bend on Turkish and Qatari membership on the Gaza executive committee—both countries are represented by their foreign ministers—but vowed on Jan. 19 that there would be no Turkish or Qatari troops in the International Stabilization Force to be deployed into Gaza. Speaking to the Knesset, Netanyahu also claimed that the two countries, which are hostile to Israel, will not “have any authority or any influence” in the various bodies set up by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to run postwar Gaza. In fact, reported the Times of Israel, the U.S. decision to include senior representatives from both countries in the committee, called the Gaza Executive Board, means they will take part in supervising the enclave.
Prior to the U.S. announcement, Netanyahu’s office repeatedly insisted that Israel would not allow Türkiye or Qatar to gain any foothold in Gaza after the war. However, ToI reports, following the U.S. announcement that the countries will play a role, Netanyahu has shifted to highlighting his opposition to a Turkish and Qatari military presence there.
While Türkiye has repeatedly shown an interest in deploying troops into Gaza, Qatar has not even entertained the idea, as its military is not structured for such operations, knowledgeable sources told ToI.
An unnamed senior American official told Axios on Jan. 17, “This is our show, not his show,” referring to Netanyahu, and, “If he wants us to deal with Gaza, it will have to be our way.”