FILE- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AFP
Under a US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, a coalition of mainly Arab and Muslim powers is expected to deploy troops in the devastated Palestinian territory.
But Netanyahu, who opposes regional rival Turkey having a role in the force, said: "We made clear with respect to international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us."
Netanyahu also warned that Israel would seek no approval to strike targets in Gaza or Lebanon, despite agreeing to ceasefires.
"Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means, and we will continue to determine our fate," he told a meeting of government ministers.
"We do not seek anyone's approval for this. We control our security," he said, following a week of visits by a parade of the highest-level US officials seeking to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza.
On Saturday, US State Secretary Marco Rubio said that Israel must be comfortable with the countries contributing to a future international security force in Gaza, following reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed Turkish participation in such a force.
“We haven’t formed that force yet, so there’s still work going on,” Rubio told reporters.
“There are a lot of countries that have offered to do it. Obviously, as you put together this force, it will have to be people – or countries – that Israel is comfortable with as well.”
The Secretary of State visited Israel on the heels of Vice President JD Vance as part of an all-out effort by the United States to persuade Israel to respect the ceasefire it has violated several times since coming into effect.
Rubio said it was critical for the deal to create "the conditions for the stabilisation force to come in as soon as it possibly can be put together".
He also expressed optimism for a durable end to Israel's two-year Gaza war as he met Israeli, US and other Western forces monitoring the ceasefire from inside a vast converted warehouse in southern Israel.
The deal, spearheaded by President Donald Trump, calls for an international force to oversee security in the Gaza Strip after Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas ended the deadliest war on the territory, which killed or injured more than 200,000 Palestinians and left much of it in ruins.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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