Azerbaijan rules out sending peacekeepers to Gaza. Azerbaijan has no plans to deploy its troops for peacekeeping missions abroad, including in Gaza, President Ilham Aliyev said late on Monday.
Speaking in interviews with local television channels, Aliyev said Baku had discussed the proposed Gaza peacekeeping mission — known as the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) — with the administration of US President Donald Trump. He said Azerbaijan had sent the US side a detailed list of more than 20 questions about how such a force would operate.
“After reviewing the proposal, no participation in peacekeeping forces is being considered,” Aliyev said. “I am not considering involvement in any military operations outside Azerbaijan.”
An Azerbaijani government source had previously told reporters in November that the country would not send troops unless there was a complete ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Meanwhile, diplomats involved in the Gaza peace talks told Dawn on Monday that despite serious concerns and fears of domestic backlash, many Muslim-majority countries linked to the process want the ISF to move forward. They believe only an international force with a clear mandate can protect civilians and ensure the survival of Palestinians in the besieged territory.
“More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and only a properly mandated international force can stop this genocide,” said one diplomat from a Muslim-majority country involved in the discussions.
Another diplomat admitted that joining the ISF would put participating countries in a very difficult position, but said the alternatives were far worse.“We know participation would create serious challenges for us,” he said. “But the alternative is continued bloodshed in Gaza, and that is simply unacceptable.” (Source: Dawn News)