ANKARA (Realist English). Turkey is assembling a large peacekeeping contingent for potential deployment to Gaza as part of a US-brokered international stabilisation mission, according to officials briefed on the plan. The move comes as negotiations with Washington and Israel continue and a final UN mandate remains unresolved.
Sources told Middle East Eye that a Turkish brigade — expected to include at least 2,000 soldiers drawn from multiple army branches — has been quietly assembling in recent weeks. The force would join a multinational mission tasked with securing post-war Gaza, implementing a ceasefire and supporting reconstruction efforts.
The proposal is central to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, which envisions Turkey taking a lead role in administering significant parts of the enclave after Hamas loses territorial control. But Israel strongly opposes Turkish involvement, and the US has yet to formally commit.
“There will be no Turkish boots on the ground,” Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian insisted Sunday. Turkish officials privately say Israel objects to a NATO member operating under a UN mandate inside Gaza — a mandate that has not yet been approved.
Turkey seeks broader post-war role
Ankara aims to position itself at the centre of Gaza’s reconstruction and security arrangements. Senior Turkish officials say their engagement during the ceasefire process — including facilitating the return of the remains of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, killed in 2014 — demonstrates Turkey’s ability to influence armed groups and stabilise the situation.
One Turkish official told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid that Ankara also attempted to secure safe passage for roughly 200 Hamas fighters trapped in Gaza’s tunnels — efforts that remain subject to Israeli approval.
Nearly 1,000 Turkish land-forces personnel have already volunteered for the planned brigade, with engineering, logistics and explosive-ordnance units expected to follow. Whether naval forces will join remains under discussion.
“This will be a coordinated international effort, not a unilateral deployment,” a senior Turkish official said, arguing that Turkey’s presence “would ensure balance and credibility on the ground.”
Mandate remains the sticking point
A draft UN resolution reviewed by MEE would authorise the peacekeeping mission to disarm Hamas “by force if necessary.” Turkey and Egypt oppose this language, warning it could drag their troops into direct conflict with Palestinian fighters.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Turkey’s participation depends on a clear UN Security Council mandate focused on border security and reconstruction, not enforcement operations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signalled readiness to send troops if conditions are met.
Turkish officials accuse Washington of attempting to outsource Israel’s security through a regional force — a charge US diplomats deny.
Trump has doubled down on his plan, calling the multinational mission “the key to lasting peace” and pledging that UN approval is imminent. He has also said he would personally chair a proposed “Board of Peace,” raising concerns among diplomats about expanded US control over the operation.
According to The Washington Post, a new US military-led coordination centre overseeing aid deliveries has already replaced Israel as the lead authority for humanitarian operations in Gaza.
A final decision on the peacekeeping mission’s scope and structure is expected following consultations between the UN, regional governments and participating states in the coming weeks.
