Turkish attempt to influence war in Gaza thwarted

During the first two months of the Gaza war, Turkey offered several Arab countries to devise a plan for a security arrangement, which would include the deployment of joint forces in Gaza on the day after the war, Reshet Bet radio reported.

An Arab diplomat, with knowledge of the details, claimed that Turkey offered to present the plan to the US and Israel – but it was not accepted by the Arab countries, including Egypt.

According to the report, at that time, in the early days of the war, the Arab countries absolutely refused to hear about any arrangement that would include stationing their forces in Gaza. However, there has been a recent shift in the matter, and Arab countries, including Egypt, have offered to station their forces in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. This proposal, submitted by the Arab countries to the US, was part of a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.

According to the Arab diplomat, Turkey is trying in every way to influence what is happening in Gaza and to position itself as a major player, especially vis-à-vis the Americans. Arab countries, such as Egypt, maintain normal relations with Turkey, but they still look suspiciously at any Turkish attempt to establish a foothold in the Palestinian arena.

The Arab diplomat noted that it seems that Turkey is trying to make itself noticeable at the expense of Qatar, based on the current failure of negotiations in the hostage deal, and the reason for the frequent meetings in recent days between Turkey and Hamas leaders.