US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Israel must approve the countries contributing to a future international security force in Gaza. His statement followed reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed Turkey’s participation in the proposed stabilization force.
Speaking at the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre in southwestern Israel, Rubio said work on the multinational force was still underway. “There’s a lot of countries that have offered to join,” he said. “But as we build this force, it must include only those nations that Israel is comfortable with.”
The proposed force is part of the Gaza peace plan aimed at maintaining security, training Palestinian police, and overseeing the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Rubio expressed optimism that the international force would be formed soon to help stabilize the region and ensure the ceasefire holds.
He also emphasized that Hamas would have no role in Gaza’s future governance. “It is important to create conditions for the stabilization force to enter as soon as possible,” Rubio stated. He added that the United States may seek a UN mandate for the mission since some nations require UN authorization to deploy troops.
The secretary of state reiterated Washington’s opposition to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which Israel has long sought to exclude. Currently, around 200 US soldiers are stationed at the coordination centre, working with troops from more than a dozen countries to manage the ceasefire.
Rubio further commented on regional diplomacy, noting that more countries are ready to normalize ties with Israel under a broader Middle East peace agreement. He said that an enduring ceasefire in Gaza could encourage nations to join the Abraham Accords, which saw the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco establish relations with Israel in 2020.
Addressing reports of a possible West Bank annexation, Rubio dismissed it as a political move. He said the recent Knesset vote to advance related bills was meant to embarrass both US Vice President JD Vance and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
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