US plans to deploy Gaza int’l security force at start of 2026, Turkey says its troops are ready to go

Amid reports that the United States plans to advance the ceasefire in Gaza to its second phase before the end of the year, a U.S. official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night that the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which is an integral part of the plans for this phase, will be sent to Gaza at the start of 2026.

Addressing a key concern of countries considering whether to send troops, the official said the ISF “will not be deployed in areas controlled by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

He added that the force is currently planned to comprise troops from one or two countries, while more countries could potentially join in the future.

The official’s statements contradict demands made by Israel and could raise further tensions ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned trip to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump after Christmas.

Netanyahu recently noted that, under the current plans, the ISF will not be able to carry out its “main” mission, which, from the Israeli perspective, is the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.

However, potential countries that could send troops have balked at the idea of clashing with Hamas terrorists in the enclave, and while some have signaled they are considering sending troops, no country has expressed a public commitment – except Turkey, whose involvement, Netanyahu said, would be a “red line.”

On Tuesday, Turkish media cited security sources announcing that the military had completed training the troops it intends to send to Gaza.

“We have no problem with the troops being sent to Gaza to join the ISF. The Americans also very much want us there, while Israel opposes it. The Americans are pressuring Israel to have Turkish troops [as part of the force],” the sources were cited as saying.

Last month, Kan News reported that Turkey was still hoping Israel would eventually allow its troops to participate in the ISF.

On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also told Reuters that Washington was pressing Israel to acquiesce to a Turkish presence.

The Turkish security sources said, “Our forces are ready. We have prepared all the necessary units. The moment the order is given, we will immediately form a modular unit.”

“You cannot say that 'Turkish troops cannot come' when it is clear that Turkey is one of the countries that worked the hardest to establish the ceasefire and coordinated the exchange [of hostages for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons].”

“If you say 'Turkish troops cannot come,' then you do not want this mission to succeed. You intend to continue to genocide,” the sources added.

Fidan said that not advancing to the next phase of the ceasefire would be a “huge failure” for the world and the Trump administration.

He added that only the implementation of a credible Palestinian civil administration and a trained police force under ISF supervision would allow Hamas to disarm, and reiterated that the group is ready to relinquish control of the enclave.

“First of all, we need to see that the Palestinian committee of technical people is taking over the administration of Gaza, then we need to see that the police force is being formed to police Gaza – again, by the Palestinians, not Hamas,” said Fidan.

However, this has been consistently contradicted by statements from Hamas officials.

Senior Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told Al Jazeera on Tuesday, “Disarming the Palestinian factions, for Palestinians, is like separating them from their soul.”

Instead, he proposed providing guarantees that there will be no military escalation from Gaza toward Israel.

This comes after he told a conference in Turkey on Saturday, “We reject all forms of guardianship over Gaza; the Palestinians are the ones who govern themselves.”

On Sunday, Hamas official Bassem Naim said that the terror organization might be willing to discuss “freezing or storing” its weapons as part of a ceasefire agreement, but reiterated the group’s insistence on holding on to its arms.