Azerbaijan will send peacekeeping forces to Gaza only if fighting completely stops

(Patria) - Azerbaijan does not plan to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza unless the fighting between Israel and Hamas completely ceases there, a source from the Azerbaijani government told Reuters yesterday.

As part of President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, the United States has spoken with Azerbaijan, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey about the potential contributions of these countries to an International Stabilization Force (ISF) of about 20,000 soldiers.

- We do not want to put our troops in danger. This can only happen if military actions completely stop - said the Azerbaijani source.

The source noted that any such decision would have to be approved by parliament. The head of the parliamentary security committee told Reuters that he has not yet received any draft law on the matter.

A representative of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the response to Reuters' questions regarding the circumstances under which Azerbaijan would contribute to the peacekeeping forces.

A resolution drafted by the United States at the United Nations would authorize the ISF to "use all necessary measures," meaning force, if necessary, to carry out its security stabilization mandate in Gaza.

Hamas has not said whether it will agree to the disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, and has previously rejected it.