As US officials prepare for crucial talks in Qatar to authorize a multinational force for Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has preemptively set his main condition: Israel will have a full veto on its members.
Netanyahu declared Sunday that “Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us.” He claimed this was “acceptable to the United States.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Israel, confirmed this, stating the force must be “countries that Israel’s comfortable with.” He also confirmed the talks in Qatar and that the US is exploring a UN resolution.
This diplomatic maneuvering comes as the Trump-brokered truce is tested. Hamas remains armed, and an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat camp was condemned by Hamas as a “clear violation.”
Furthermore, a slow exchange of remains has prompted a warning from Donald Trump, adding pressure to the fragile situation.