Israel shuts door on Turkey in Gaza as Trump praises Erdogan, plays down clash

Tensions betwixt Israel and Turkey are rising amid competing visions for Gaza’s reconstruction and widening strategical friction successful Syria, adjacent arsenic some countries stay embedded successful a U.S.-led diplomatic model pursuing the ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel has made wide it volition not let Turkish equipped forces to run wrong Gaza, viewing Ankara arsenic a destabilizing histrion contempt its nationalist efforts to contiguous itself arsenic a reconstruction partner. Turkish sources told Fox News Digital that Ankara does not question to deploy troops successful Gaza, alternatively focusing connected humanitarian aid, infrastructure projects and governmental influence. 

Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, said Israel views Turkey arsenic a strategical menace alternatively than a neutral actor. 

"From Israel’s constituent of view, Turkey is the arsonist behaving similar the firefighter successful Gaza," Diker told Fox News Digital. "If Turkey is allowed to participate Gaza with respective 1000 equipped men, you tin warrant that this Muslim Brotherhood state volition destabilize Gaza and dismantle the precise 20-point program that President Trump has stake the workplace on."

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU PUSHES BACK ON 'FAKE SPINS' SUGGESTING TENSION BETWEEN HIM AND TRUMP

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media adjacent to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon accomplishment for meetings astatine Trump's Mar-a-Lago nine successful Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., Dec. 29, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Diker said Erdogan’s ambitions widen beyond Gaza, pointing to Turkey’s subject beingness successful northwestern Syria and what helium described arsenic Ankara’s long-standing relation enabling extremist Islamist groups wrong the country.

In Trump’s remarks astatine Mar-a-Lago connected Monday astatine his property league with Prime Minister Netanyahu, helium repeatedly praised Erdogan and downplayed concerns astir a imaginable Israel-Turkey confrontation.

"I cognize President Erdogan precise well… he’s a precise bully person of mine," Trump said. "Bibi respects him… They’re not going to person a problem. Nothing’s going to happen." Netanyahu smiled and didn’t comment.

At the aforesaid time, Trump aligned himself publically with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Gaza’s future, issuing his strongest connection yet that Hamas indispensable disarm.

"They made an statement that they were going to disarm," Trump said. "If they’re not going to disarm, those aforesaid countries volition spell and hitch retired Hamas."

TRUMP SIGNALS NEW TRUST IN ERDOGAN, RAISING CONCERNS OVER TURKEY’S AMBITIONS IN GAZA AND BEYOND

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) delivers remarks during a gathering with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan successful the Oval Office astatine the White House connected Sept. 25, 2025 successful Washington, DC.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

According to Diker, the president is deliberately managing tensions with Ankara by keeping Erdogan wrong the diplomatic model alternatively than confronting him publicly.

"President Trump is very, precise bully astatine keeping adversaries close, unneurotic with allies," Diker said. "That’s wherefore helium keeps saying that helium likes Erdogan. He wants to support Erdogan successful the party. He wants to support him close."

Diker said Trump understands his ain leverage successful the portion and believes helium tin coalesce Arab and Muslim states erstwhile it serves U.S. and Israeli interests, citing coordination during the archetypal signifier of the hostage deal.

Diker said Netanyahu is present walking a constrictive line, trying not to undermine the model Trump has built portion ensuring Israel’s information reddish lines are maintained.

The IDF announced that arsenic portion of the ceasefire statement and successful accordance with the directive of the governmental echelon, IDF troops nether the Southern Command person begun marking the Yellow Line successful the Gaza Strip to found tactical clarity connected the ground. (IDF)

"Israel volition not let Turkish Armed Forces successful Gaza. It’s not going to happen," Diker said, adding that Israel whitethorn inactive beryllium forced into constricted compromises to sphere Trump’s broader support, peculiarly connected Iran.

Beyond Gaza, Israel sees Turkey’s relation successful Syria arsenic a increasing constituent of friction. Ankara maintains power crossed ample swaths of bluish Syria, portion Israel has continued aerial operations aimed astatine Iranian targets.

Sinan Ciddi, a elder chap astatine the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned successful an investigation that Turkey views Israel-aligned determination practice arsenic a nonstop situation to its ambitions.

TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES

Destroyed buildings prevarication successful Gaza, arsenic seen from the Israeli broadside of the border, July 28, 2025. (Reuters)

Ciddi cited a trilateral acme betwixt Israel, Greece and Cyprus successful Jerusalem arsenic a flashpoint, arguing it signaled absorption to Turkey’s "Blue Homeland" doctrine and broader maritime claims successful the Eastern Mediterranean.

Following the summit, pro-Erdogan media outlets described Israel arsenic a large threat, portion Turkey accrued subject enactment that alarmed U.S. allies, including airspace violations adjacent Greece and reported efforts to grow radar sum successful Syria that could hinder Israeli operations against Iran.

Diker said Israel’s designation of Somaliland adds different furniture to the rivalry, peculiarly successful the Red Sea region. "The Turks are moving successful Somalia. They are besides moving to power and power what happens successful the Red Sea region," Diker said. "Which is wherefore Somaliland's improvement is very, precise important."

He argued that the determination gives Israel a strategical foothold on a captious maritime corridor.

"Israel past has a strategical base, a guardant basal successful Somaliland connected the Red Sea," Diker said. "Very, precise important, due to the fact that it checkmates Turkey."

Diker said the determination was viewed successful Ankara arsenic a nonstop situation to Turkish ambitions successful the Horn of Africa, adding that the Trump medication had "expressed its understanding" of Israel’s decision.

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A Turkey-backed combatant looks retired from a subject presumption successful the Syrian country of Jibrin successful Aleppo's eastbound countryside, towards the Kurdish-controlled country of Tal Rifaat, connected July 19, 2022.  (Bakr Alkasem / AFP via Getty Images)

Despite Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric toward Israel and vocal enactment for the Palestinian cause, Turkish diplomatic sources accidental Ankara is acting pragmatically. While Turkey sees fiscal and governmental accidental successful Gaza’s reconstruction, those sources accidental Erdogan is alert determination is small home appetite for sending Turkish troops into the enclave.

That spread betwixt rhetoric and policy, analysts say, is apt to persist. As Diker enactment it, Trump is trying to support the diplomatic operation intact portion Israel works to incorporate what it sees arsenic Turkey’s expanding determination footprint. "Trump does not privation to topple the pome cart," Diker said. "He wants to effort to support everyone unneurotic truthful that they tin determination to signifier 2 of the 20-point program successful Gaza."