US hosts forum in Qatar on international Gaza force, with Turkey reportedly left out |
The United States Central Command is hosting a conference in Qatar on Tuesday with dozens of partner nations to discuss plans for an International Stabilization Force for the Gaza Strip.
Two US officials told Reuters that the conference will include sessions on the command structure and other unresolved issues relating to the force.
Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Italy, France, the UK, and Azerbaijan are among the attendees, an Arab official told The Times of Israel.
Over 45 countries are attending, but Turkey, a powerful regional rival of Israel and backer of Hamas, was not invited to the gathering, a European diplomat told The Times of Israel.
Qatar and Turkey were both pressuring the White House to allow Ankara’s participation, according to the Haaretz daily.
According to the European official, other countries at the summit include Cyprus, Georgia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Jordan, Japan, Greece, Singapore, the EU, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Morocco, Bahrain, Bosnia, Finland, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Spain, and Yemen.
According to the European official, the agenda included a presentation by a senior US officer on the American goals for the force, and a proposed mission for the force.
The discussion was a continuation of a recent meeting in Washington, DC, said the official.
The countries at the conference were each asked to say whether they were interested in joining the force, and whether they would go as far as confirming their participation, said the European official.
The forum also discussed next steps, including a follow-up meeting of military chiefs of staff in January. The location of that meeting is not yet known.
There is still “no clear answer” on the force’s mandate, and whether it will be involved in disarming Hamas, said the European official.
The US State Department sent formal requests to over 70 countries asking for troops or money for the emerging international security force it hopes will keep order in Gaza, an endeavor that has so far struggled to get off the ground, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
The requests noted that Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, were already working with the US to secure funding for the deployment of troops to Gaza.
A US official told The Journal that 19 of the 70 countries approached have responded with willingness to assist, including by providing troops,........