Disarming Hamas should not be first task of Gaza stabilisation force, Turkey says

Ankara's foreign minister suggests international partners should start by separating Israeli troops from Hamas

The international stabilisation force (ISF) in Gaza should make its priority the separation of Israeli troops and Hamas rather than the disarmament of the Palestinian group, the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has said.

He also suggested that Indonesia and Azerbaijan, two countries that have offered to contribute troops, would prefer that Turkey was a member of the planned UN-backed force, something Israel is seeking to veto.