STORY: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Wednesday (October 22) at his opposition to any role for Turkish security forces in the Gaza Strip as part of a mission to monitor a U.S.-backed ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Speaking in Jerusalem alongside visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Netanyahu said they had discussed the "day-after" for Gaza, including who could provide security in the territory shattered by two years of war.

Vance, who said on Tuesday U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan was going better than expected, reiterated his optimism. "I never said it was easy. But what I am is optimistic that the ceasefire is going to hold and that we can actually build a better future in the entire Middle East," he said.

Having secured a ceasefire, mediators are focused on the second phase of Trump's Gaza plan which demands Hamas disarm and foresees the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force that would train and support vetted Palestinian police.

Responding to a question about the idea of Turkish security forces in Gaza, Netanyahu said: "We will decide together about that. So I have very strong opinions about that. Want to guess what they are?"

Vance said on Tuesday there would be a "constructive role" for Turkey to play as the truce moved towards the next stage.

Once warm relations between NATO member Turkey and Israel hit new lows during the Gaza war, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticising Israel's attacks on the enclave and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Turkey, which helped persuade Hamas to accept Trump's plan, has said it would take part in the international task force to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire, and that its armed forces could serve in a military or civilian capacity as needed.

Two weeks ago, Erdogan said Turkey could play a role "in the field", while a senior official told Reuters that it will take part in the joint task force - alongside Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt - established to locate the bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza whose locations were unknown.

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Israel's Netanyahu hints at opposition to any Turkish role in Gaza

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU DELIVERING STATEMENTS IN JERUSALEM

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: JERUSALEM (OCTOBER 22, 2025) (POOL - Access all)

1. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE ARRIVING AT MEETING

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE, SAYING:

"As the prime minister said, these are days of destiny. And we're very excited to sit down and work together on the Gaza Peace Plan. We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas, but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people of Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel. That's not easy. I think the Prime Minister knows that as well as anybody, but it's something that we're committed to in the Trump administration. And I think we've even in the past 24 hours had a lot of good conversations with our friends in the Israeli government, but also, frankly, with our friends in the Arab world who are stepping up and volunteering to play a very positive role in this."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING (RESPONDING TO IDEA OF TURKISH SECURITY FORCES IN GAZA):

"Israel will obviously we will decide together about that. So I have very strong opinions about that. Want to guess what they are?"

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE, SAYING:

"But we actually see this as an opportunity to build on the Abraham Accords. And I think this Gaza deal is a critical piece of unlocking the Abraham Accord but what it could allow is an alliance structure in the Middle East, that perseveres, that endures, and that allows the good people in this region of the world to step up and take ownership of their own backyard. That's in the United States' best interest. I happen to think that it's in Israel's best interest too."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE, SAYING:

"This thing takes monitoring and it's going to take a lot of work. I was in the CMCC (Civilian Military Cooperation Center), which we opened up yesterday. A lot of our Israeli friends working together with a lot of Americans to actually mediate this entire ceasefire process to get some of the critical infrastructure off the ground from the International Security Force, some of the reconstruction of Gaza. It's not easy. I never said it was easy. But what I am is optimistic that the ceasefire is going to hold and that we can actually build a better future in the entire Middle East."

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"When it comes to Israel's security, we do what we have to do. That's always the case. That's not a question. But America has an interest in a strong Israel, as you just heard from the Vice President. And Israel has an interest in a strong America. America has other interests in this region, where we can be flexible to accommodate that, that's good because a strong America is in our interest and equally, as you just heard the Vice President say again and strong Israel serves America's interest in stabilising this very unstable region and you can't stabilise it without a strong Israel."

12. WHITE FLASH

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"We discussed this idea of the day after. Remember, everybody said you don't have a day after, you don't have a day after. We're just creating an unbelievable day after with a completely new vision, of how to have the civil government, how to have the security there, who could provide that security there. Again, there's no taking care of overall security always. And we discussed that, and I think we have some very, very good ideas of adequacy. It's not going to be easy."

14. WHITE FLASH

15. NETANYAHU AND VANCE LEAVING