Israel must feel ‘comfortable’ with Gaza peacekeepers, Rubio says

TEL AVIV – The U.S. government is giving Israel a say in the composition of an international peacekeeping force for the Gaza Strip, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.

The force must be made up of states with which “Israel must feel comfortable,” Rubio said Friday during a visit to the coordination center in Israel that is to monitor the ceasefire.

According to reports, Israel does not want Turkey to send troops into the Palestinian territory. A plan drawn up by the U.S. government for an end to the Gaza war envisages the deployment of international soldiers to secure peace.

Rubio did not want to comment on which states Israel might disagree with.

“I just want to say that many countries are expressing interest right now,” the U.S. Secretary of State explained. “We have not yet formed this force.”

It would need an international mandate, for example from the United Nations or an international agreement. Work is currently underway to create the conditions for “the stabilization force to arrive as soon as possible” in the Gaza Strip.

First of all, the ceasefire must hold and the people in the coastal area must receive humanitarian aid, the U.S. diplomat said.

However, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) would not play a role, he added, accusing the organization of having become an offshoot of the terrorist group Hamas.

Rubio warned that if Hamas did not lay down its weapons, this would be a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

“We want a Gaza Strip where people can live without Hamas, where they have jobs, prosperity and opportunities,” he continued.

“This is a long-term project,” Rubio said. According to him, a better future for the people in the Gaza Strip is also important so that no one joins terrorist organizations there.

According to Rubio, it is not yet clear whether the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, will play a role in the Gaza Strip in future. Israel has vehemently spoken out against this in the past.