Troops from Azerbaijan and Indonesia are expected to form the core of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be deployed in Gaza. This has emerged from recent discussions between US Vice President JD Vance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and their respective teams. The force is anticipated to comprise tens of thousands of soldiers, Israel Hayom has learned.
Indonesia has a longstanding history of contributing troops to international policing missions under the United Nations, including to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Israel has maintained close and longstanding relations with Azerbaijan across various fields, including security cooperation.
The move to deploy troops from these two Muslim-majority countries comes after Israel blocked Turkey's participation in the Gaza force. Israel Hayom has learned that the US accepted Israel's position, and Turkish forces will not take part in military operations in Gaza.
Israel Hayom has also revealed that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates declined to participate in the mission. Additionally, President Donald Trump has made clear that US troops will not enter Gaza. The idea of deploying Qatari soldiers to demilitarize Gaza was never considered, leaving Azerbaijan and Indonesia as the last viable options.
The process of coordinating the deployment of troops from Indonesia and Azerbaijan is underway but still in its early stages. One obstacle is Indonesia's insistence that any international force must be authorized by a UN Security Council resolution.
Talks toward securing such a resolution have begun. However, Israel remains wary of Security Council resolutions, citing bitter past experiences and the inability to enforce decisions effectively. At the same time, France is pushing to include the establishment of a Palestinian state in the proposed resolution, a step to which Israel is firmly opposed. Intense negotiations are ongoing among the involved parties in an effort to reach a mutually acceptable formulation.
There is skepticism in Israel about whether such a resolution could pass, and whether an international force—if formed—would be capable of carrying out its mandate. For now, the political directive to the defense establishment is to give the US-backed plan a chance. However, many believe that at some stage, Israeli military action will be necessary to achieve these goals.
Another unresolved issue under discussion is whether the IDF would retain operational freedom to act against Hamas threats in Gaza, similar to how it currently operates against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
