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Official Baku says there is no final decision on the participation of Azerbaijani military in peacekeeping forces in Gaza

24 December 2025 21:23 (UTC +04:00)

The issue of deployment of "the International Stabilization Force" in Gaza is delaying, it has been noted in an article published in Middle East Eye, APA reports.

"The UN Security Council last month approved a resolution to create the force, securing official support from Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Jordan.

However, little progress has been made since then," noted in the article.

It has also been noted in the article a senior Azerbaijani official has expressed Baku's doubts about joining an international force to be deployed in Gaza.

Hikmet Hajiyev, an assistant to Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, said that it would be difficult for Baku to participate in a force set to be deployed as part of a US-brokered ceasefire plan, citing issues about the scope of the mandate.

"No final decision has been made yet," Hajiyev said.

Hajiyev expressed concern that the Security Council resolution "does not address questions regarding the specific rules of engagement in Gaza, modalities of action, and the scope of the mission's mandate".

He also pointed out that Azerbaijan had been fighting neighbouring Armenia until 2023, and it would be difficult to convince its people to mobilise more troops.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told Middle East Eye earlier this month that Israel's refusal to accept Turkish troops in Gaza discouraged partners like Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

US Central Command, which has been tasked with coordinating the humanitarian aid into the strip and the establishment of the force, convened a summit in Doha earlier this month. It invited a large number of countries but excluded Türkiye at the request of Israel.

King Abdullah of Jordan said in an interview with the BBC in late October that Jordan would not send troops to Gaza.

A senior official from the UAE also said in November that it would be difficult for the country to join at this time.

Turkish officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the subject, told MEE that no final decision had been made on Türkiye's participation in the force. Ankara insiders believe the Turkish government could live without deploying troops to Gaza, but they are worried that Hamas wouldn't trust the other countries as it does Türkiye, and the whole set-up could be in disarray in the near future.