“We will decide” who polices Gaza, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday, asserting Israel’s right to veto nations from an international peacekeeping force. This statement comes just days after a Donald Trump-brokered truce, and as Hamas remains armed.
“Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu said, adding that the US, via “its most senior representatives,” agrees with this.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel, confirmed this, stating the force must be “countries that Israel’s comfortable with.” He also emphasized that Gaza’s future governance must exclude Hamas.
Netanyahu has already signaled this veto would apply to Turkey, due to strained relations. The force, which the US will not join, could include Egypt, Indonesia, and Gulf states.
The truce is showing cracks. An Israeli strike on the Nuseirat camp was branded a “clear violation” by Hamas. Moreover, the exchange of remains is lagging, with Trump warning Hamas to “return more bodies” immediately.
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