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Israel asked the Trump administration to exclude Türkiye from the "Board of Peace" that the U.S. president is establishing for Gaza, the Israeli media outlet Jerusalem Post reported, citing two officials familiar with the matter.
The issue was reportedly raised during talks held in recent weeks between senior Israeli and Trump administration officials focused on continued implementation of the Trump plan for Gaza.
Israel has also vetoed the presence of Turkish troops in Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force to be deployed in the next phase of the plan, the report said.
U.S. president was recently asked about the issue on Monday, Dec. 29, at the start of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago.
"I have a great relationship with President Erdogan, and we’ll be talking about it. And if it’s good, I think that’s good," Trump said when asked whether he expects Turkish troops to be stationed in Gaza as part of the international stabilization force (ISF) required in his 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan.
"Türkiye has been great," Trump added. "I know Erdogan very well, and, as you all know, he's a good friend of mine. I believe him, and I respect him. So does Netanyahu."
Some officials in the Trump administration believe Türkiye should be part of the peace council, in part because Türkiye—alongside Egypt and Qatar—is a guarantor of the ceasefire agreement signed with Hamas, the report said.
Trump is expected to announce the composition of the Board of Peace in January, as well as the makeup of a technocratic government made up of Palestinians approved by Israel after a vetting process.
Several sources told The Jerusalem Post that a final decision on the composition of the Board of Peace has not yet been made.
Israeli officials have also worked in recent weeks to limit Türkiye's involvement in the reconstruction of Gaza as much as possible, the report said.
"In Israel, there is concern that Turkish involvement in humanitarian affairs and reconstruction efforts would give Ankara a significant foothold in controlling the Strip," a source familiar with the talks told The Jerusalem Post.
The report comes amid devastating conditions in Gaza. According to Palestinian authorities, Israel completely demolished 106,400 homes in Gaza in 2025, damaged 66,000 homes, rendering them uninhabitable, and partially damaged 41,000 homes.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said 2025 marked the worst humanitarian and demographic year for Palestinians.
More than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, with 98% of deaths recorded in Gaza—the highest toll in the history of Israeli attacks on Palestinians.
Victims included 18,592 children and about 12,400 women, while about 11,000 people remain missing and the number of wounded rose to 171,195.
Gaza's population fell by about 254,000 people—a 10.6% decline compared with prewar estimates—marking an unprecedented demographic contraction caused by killings, displacement, and the collapse of living conditions.
Nearly 2 million people were displaced from their homes out of a prewar population of about 2.2 million.
About 94% of healthcare facilities and hospitals in Gaza were damaged or destroyed, with only 19 of 36 hospitals partially operating at severely limited capacity.
Hospitals currently have about 2,000 available beds to serve more than 2 million people.
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