TEL AVIV, January 19. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country’s parliament that Turkey and Qatar will not be allowed to deploy any of their military in the Gaza Strip.
"There will be no Turkish and Qatari soldiers in the Gaza Strip. We are now debating the composition of the board [to govern the Gaza Strip] with our friends in the United States," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by the Ynet news portal. "We are now at phase two [of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan], as we can be assured that the Hamas movement will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized."
The Israeli premier’s office said on January 17 that the composition of the Gaza council was not agreed with Israel and "runs counter to its policies." In this regard, Netanyahu tasked his Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to discuss the matter with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Israel and Hamas resumed Egypt-, Qatar-, United States-, and Turkey-mediated indirect talks on settling the situation in the Gaza Strip on October 6. On October 9, the parties to the conflict signed an agreement on the implementation of phase one of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan. The ceasefire came into effect on October 10. The ceasefire came into effect on October 10. Under the agreement, Israeli troops withdrew to the so-called Yellow Line but retained control over more than 50% of the enclave’s territory.
The second phase of the deal envisages the withdrawal of Israeli troops, deployment of an international stabilization force, as well the launch of enclave governance structures, including the so-called Board of Peace.