Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlement Minister Orit Strook sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday evening, demanding he halt the entry of an international force into Gaza. The demand follows a surprise visit by Strook to the ISF base site near Kerem Shalom, where they claim preparations for up to 5,000 foreign soldiers far exceed what was approved by the security cabinet.
Sunday evening, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlement Minister Orit Strook sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that the International Stabilization Force (ISF) base under construction near Kerem Shalom violates the security cabinet's decision.
According to the letter, obtained by Israel Hayom journalist Ariel Kahana, Strook conducted a surprise visit to the site on Friday and found preparations for approximately 1,500 foreign soldiers, with infrastructure to accommodate up to 5,000. The ministers claim the scope of construction and the base's intended role go "far beyond what was discussed in the cabinet," and that the cabinet decision was breached.
Smotrich and Strook demand a corrective cabinet decision at Monday's meeting to prevent the entry of the ISF and any other multinational force into Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed and the Strip is demilitarized.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the cabinet has resisted the international force framework. On August 3, Smotrich and Strook first called on Netanyahu to prevent the entry of an international force. An August 7 report revealed that international forces had begun concentrating on the Gaza border without awaiting cabinet approval, and the security cabinet later confirmed Israel had not signed the Peace Council roadmap or the multinational force agreement.
It remains unclear whether Prime Minister Netanyahu will bring the issue to a vote at Monday's cabinet meeting or seek to delay a decision.
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