The soldiers deployed to Gaza as part of a peacekeeping force will be exclusively Muslim, the Telegraph reported on Friday, citing diplomatic sources. While the current ceasefire agreement was orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, regional countries will police the Palestinian territory and ensure adherence to the agreement. The role of the stabilization force is still in discussion, according to the report.
It is unclear if the force will be responsible for the disarmament of Hamas or simply policing Gaza once the terror group has relinquished its control. Jordan’s King Abdullah said earlier this week that he anticipated Amman being one of several Muslim and or Arab countries to play a role in Gaza, though he did not answer whether Jordanian forces would disarm Hamas.
Israeli leadership has also flat-out rejected some nations from playing a role in Gaza, namely Turkey and Qatar, which have diplomatic ties to Hamas. Israel has argued that both Ankara and Doha were founded on the principles of the Muslim Brotherhood, the same Islamist extremist roots as Hamas.
Foreign ministers of some Muslim countries will meet in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and next steps there, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday, voicing concern over whether the ceasefire will continue. (Read More)
