Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is demanding control over Gaza’s future, vowing that Israel will vet every country proposed for an international peacekeeping force. This hardline stance comes as a Trump-brokered ceasefire shows signs of strain.
“Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu stated Sunday. He claimed the US, through senior representatives, has agreed to this condition.
This demand is complicated by Hamas’s refusal to disarm. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Israel, supported Netanyahu, saying the force must be “countries that Israel’s comfortable with” and that Hamas will be excluded.
Netanyahu has already signaled he would use this veto to block Turkey. The final list of participating nations, which could include Egypt and Indonesia, is still being discussed.
The truce is being tested on the ground. An Israeli strike hit the Nuseirat camp, which Hamas called a “clear violation.” The slow return of hostage remains has also prompted Donald Trump to issue a public warning to Hamas.