Officials in Turkey’s Ministry of Defense say Ankara is continuing consultations with relevant parties regarding the establishment of a task force in the Gaza Strip.
According to the officials, Turkey was among the initiators of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and is maintaining both diplomatic and military contacts with other countries to ensure its implementation.
The second phase of the ceasefire agreement reportedly includes the deployment of an international peacekeeping force, a further withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza, and the creation of a transitional administration to be named the Peace Council.
Israel, however, has made clear that it opposes moving to the second phase before the completion of the first, which includes the return of all the bodies of Israeli hostages and the release of two foreign civilians still held by Hamas.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to it. This is agreed upon with the United States.”
Netanyahu’s remarks have been widely interpreted as signaling opposition to the potential inclusion of Turkish military forces in the international contingent the US is working to deploy in Gaza.