Israel has reluctantly accepted Turkey's participation as a guarantor in the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement, raising significant concerns in Jerusalem about Ankara's intentions and its long-standing support for Hamas. According to The Jerusalem Post, experts argue that Washington's leverage pushed Jerusalem to accept a Turkish role that it would otherwise have resisted, marking a dramatic shift in the complex relationship between the two regional powers.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secured a frontline position in Gaza's future last week when Turkey signed onto President Donald Trump's peace plan as an official guarantor. The agreement commits Ankara to sending disaster-response teams to help recover bodies of Israeli hostages, remove rubble, and participate in a multinational task force monitoring the ceasefire and training Palestinian security forces.
Images revealed Monday showing Turkish engineering equipment bearing the national flag already operating inside Gaza have intensified Israeli anxieties. Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock bluntly criticized the arrangement, stating, "How is it that we're trying to distance Turkey from Syria and bringing them in through the front door—here on our border? I don't want to see any Turk in Gaza—not on a tractor, not on a jeep, and not on roller skates."
The Israeli government's primary concern centers on Turkey's ideological and practical support for Hamas. Unlike Israel and the United States, Turkey considers Hamas a legitimate political movement rather than a terrorist organization. Erdoğan's political base is rooted in political Islam, historically aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is the Palestinian offshoot. Turkey has hosted senior Hamas figures, and the organization has allegedly used Turkish banks and companies to move funds.
"Israel views Hamas as a terrorist organization that has been the cause of destruction and pain for Israelis and Palestinians," Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told The Media Line. "Turkey backs Hamas and wants to see Hamas remain in power in Gaza after the end. Hence, Turkey cannot be seen as a constructive player in this sense."
During the two-year conflict, Erdoğan's rhetoric escalated dramatically, comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. Turkey joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and a recent humanitarian flotilla to Gaza was reportedly accompanied by Turkish military drones.
"What has happened now is because of US pressure on Israel," Lindenstrauss explained. "This is not what Israel wanted." The personal relationship between President Trump and Erdoğan apparently helped facilitate Turkey's inclusion despite Jerusalem's objections.
American envoy Steve Witkoff stated that rebuilding Gaza will cost approximately $50 billion, with Middle Eastern governments and European nations expected to contribute. A "Peace Council" will oversee reconstruction efforts, working with contractors from regional countries.
Israel's strategy moving forward will focus on limiting Turkish involvement. "Israel will try to limit the Turkish involvement only to help with the retrieval of deceased hostages and will try to prevent it from taking part in the reconstruction of Gaza, but this will be very difficult," said Michael Harari, a former Israeli ambassador and policy fellow at Mitvim.
A central component of the Israel-Hamas agreement mandates ending Hamas rule in Gaza, creating a fundamental conflict with Turkey's regional objectives and leaving Israel wary that Ankara could shield the terrorist organization during the post-war reconstruction phase.
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