As Washington pushes ahead with its proposed peace plan to end the Israel–Gaza war, US officials have reportedly been pressing Israel to revoke its opposition to Turkey's participation as a member in the planned International Stabilisation Force (ISF), officials told Times Of Israel.

Securing foreign troop commitments for the ISF has proven far more difficult than assembling political backing for the proposed Board of Peace, as all the potential contributors remain wary over the body's mandate and have also expressed growing concerns over the deteriorating security environment in Gaza, where both sides continue to violate the ceasefire, with many long-term outstanding issues remaining unresolved.

In an effort to address these concerns, the US Central Command hosted a conference in Doha on Tuesday, where US officials outlined their vision for the ISF to representatives from several dozen countries.

Participants were told that states could contribute in five ways: by deploying troops, providing law enforcement personnel, offering logistical support, training Palestinian police forces, or supplying funding.

While the briefing clarified elements such as the ISF's prospective size, structure and command arrangements, diplomats said major questions — particularly regarding Hamas's disarmament — were left unanswered.

Two Arab diplomats noted that although a US-backed UN Security Council resolution states the ISF will "ensure" the demilitarisation of Gaza, Washington has privately acknowledged that the force is not expected to deploy initially to the western half of the territory, which remains under de facto Hamas control and is described as a "red zone".

Instead, the US plans for the ISF to be stationed first along the Yellow Line, the boundary to which Israel withdrew at the start of the October ceasefire. Under current arrangements, Israel will continue to retain control of roughly 53% of the Gaza Strip.

US officials further told all potential ISF members that the task force is not intended to engage Hamas directly to seize its weapons.

Rather, Washington expects the group to comply with a phased and voluntary disarmament process.

Arab diplomats cautioned that talks on such an arrangement between Hamas and regional mediators are still at an early stage, with limited US involvement to date.

Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff had planned to meet top Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya last month, but that meeting was scrapped and has not since been rescheduled.

Italy, too, has in recent days renewed its willingness to dispatch its Carabinieri and military forces to join the ISF, the US official said, confirming a report in the Repubblica Italian daily. However, in a similar vein as Azerbaijan and Indonesia, Rome is seeking more clarity regarding the ISF mandate before formally signing on, a US official noted.

The US is aiming to convene a follow-up conference in Washington in the second week of January to resolve outstanding questions.

Still, two Arab diplomats and an Israeli official expressed strong scepticism about the Trump administration's ambition to deploy the ISF within the same month.

The administration has already delayed Trump's announcement of the ceasefire's second phase, which had initially been expected in mid to late December, with the US President last week stating that the ceasefire's second phase would now take place sometime early next year, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the broader timeline for Gaza's postwar arrangements.