Azerbaijan declines to send troops to Gaza until hostilities end, as Trump pushes 20,000-troop International Stabilization Force plan.
In a cautious yet firm statement, Azerbaijan announced Friday that it will not send peacekeeping troops to Gaza unless there is a complete cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, according to Reuters.
The decision comes amid active U.S.-led discussions on forming a 20,000-strong International Stabilization Force (ISF) under President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, designed to restore order and secure demilitarization following the brutal 12-day war between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas earlier this year.
“We do not want to put our troops in danger. This can only happen if military action is completely stopped,” an Azerbaijani government source told Reuters.
Azerbaijan, a close ally of Israel with a growing strategic defense partnership, was one of several Muslim-majority nations approached by Washington to join the coalition — alongside Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. However, Baku emphasized that any military deployment would require parliamentary approval, and no draft proposal has yet been tabled.
A U.S.-drafted UN resolution currently under review would authorize the ISF to “use all necessary measures” — including force if required — to stabilize Gaza and ensure the implementation of Trump’s peace roadmap. The plan envisions an international coalition to enforce Hamas’ demilitarization, rebuild Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, and secure Israeli border towns that have faced years of rocket fire.
While Hamas has not yet agreed to disarm, President Trump reiterated that any breach of the deal would bring “swift and decisive consequences,” warning the terror organization against exploiting humanitarian aid or rearming under foreign cover.
The ISF proposal has been viewed as a crucial step in ensuring post-war security in Gaza — aligning moderate Arab and Muslim nations with Israel’s right to defense and regional stability.
If realized, Trump’s stabilization force could mark a historic geopolitical shift — one where pragmatic Muslim nations cooperate with the U.S. and Israel to neutralize extremist threats and ensure that Gaza’s reconstruction is led by peace, not terror.
