Israel to decide which foreign forces unacceptable, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasised that Israel, as a sovereign state, will determine its own security policy and choose which international forces to cooperate with.

"We control our own security and we have made clear to international forces that Israel will decide which forces are unacceptable to us — and that is how we act and will continue to act," Caliber.Az quotes Netanyahu as saying.

Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting on October 26, he stressed that the stance is recognised by Washington.

"This is, of course, accepted by the United States, as its most senior representatives expressed in recent days," Netanyahu said.

A few days ago, Netanyahu had indicated opposition to Turkish involvement in Gaza's security arrangements. During a joint press conference with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on October 22, Netanyahu suggested that Israel would be opposed to any Turkish forces participating in a U.S.-backed ceasefire monitoring mission in Gaza. 

In response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on the United States and other international actors to exert pressure on Israel to adhere to the ceasefire agreement.

Erdoğan emphasised that Israel must be compelled to comply with the terms of the truce, including the cessation of hostilities and the disarmament of Hamas, suggesting measures such as sanctions or halting arms sales as potential means to enforce compliance.

By Aghakazim Guliyev