'No interest in the collapse of the plan': Israel draws red lines for Gaza, Turkey and Syria

Israel remains committed to a diplomatic roadmap for Gaza but will not accept an agreement that allows Hamas to retain its weapons or gives Turkey and Qatar a role in the enclave’s future security, a senior Israeli official told i24NEWS, outlining Jerusalem’s position as negotiations increasingly intersect with wider regional tensions.

The official described a complex diplomatic landscape in which Israel is simultaneously pressing for Hamas’ disarmament, disputing elements of the Gaza framework with the Board of Peace, managing a deteriorating relationship with Turkey and maintaining cautious communication with Syria’s new leadership.

While emphasizing that Israel prefers diplomacy to renewed fighting, the official said Jerusalem would continue to defend what it considers its fundamental security interests in Gaza and along the Syrian frontier.

“We have no interest in the collapse of the plan. We have an interest in implementing it,” the official said. “In our view, implementing the plan means disarmament.”

According to the official, Israel believes the proposed 15-point Gaza roadmap does not fully correspond with US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

“Our claim is that the 15-point plan does not align with the 20-point plan,” the official said.

Israel and the Board of Peace remain divided over aspects of the roadmap’s implementation, including the sequence linking Hamas’ disarmament to Gaza’s reconstruction. The official characterized those disagreements as legitimate but said they concern Israel’s most fundamental interests.

“There has unfortunately been no progress on disarmament,” the official said. “We stressed that Gaza’s reconstruction is linked to disarmament. The discussion on this continues.”

The official added that Israel seeks to achieve its objectives through diplomatic means whenever possible, rather than through continued military action.

No Turkish or Qatari security role in Gaza

Israel has ruled out the participation of Turkey and Qatar in the proposed International Stabilization Force, or ISF, and opposes granting either country influence over Gaza’s security arrangements.

“Qatar and Turkey will not be part of the ISF,” the official said. “When it comes to security matters, neither Turkey nor Qatar will have any standing.”

Both countries have played prominent regional roles during the Gaza conflict, but Israel has repeatedly questioned their relationships with Hamas and their suitability as security partners.

The official also acknowledged that proposals involving the large-scale departure of Palestinians from Gaza face a practical obstacle: No countries are prepared to receive them in significant numbers.

“In practice, there are no countries willing to absorb Gazans in any significant numbers,” the official said.

Israel seeks to contain tensions with Turkey

The official’s comments on Gaza came alongside a broader assessment of Israel’s strained relationship with Turkey, which has also emerged as a point of friction in Syria.

Israel has not designated Turkey an enemy state, the official said, but now considers Ankara an adversary in the economic and legal spheres.

“There is no rush to classify countries as enemy states,” the official said, noting that such a move would carry legal consequences.

Azerbaijan previously served as an intermediary for messages between Israel and Turkey, according to the official, although that channel has been used less frequently in recent months.

Despite the worsening relationship, Israel does not want tensions with Ankara to escalate into a direct military confrontation.

“I do not think that either side should reach a situation involving an exchange of fire — neither the Turks nor us,” the official said.

Turkish presence complicates Israel-Syria dialogue

Syria has become a central arena in the Israeli-Turkish dispute as both countries seek to protect their interests following the change of government in Damascus.

The official said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is open to dialogue and confirmed that Israel maintains communication channels with the Syrian authorities at several levels.

Israel and Syria held talks about a year ago in an effort to reach a security agreement, the official said, but the negotiations ultimately failed. Damascus became less motivated to reach an arrangement after some international sanctions were lifted, according to the Israeli assessment.

Israel also opposed withdrawing from the buffer zone as part of any potential agreement, with the official describing the area as a strategic security asset.

“In any case, there is always dialogue,” the official said. “Dialogue takes place at all kinds of levels.”

At the same time, Israel is closely monitoring Turkey’s military ambitions in Syria. The official said a recent point of contention involved a Turkish presence south of the existing lines and efforts to establish Turkish bases in areas Israel considers critical to its security.

The proposed bases were “against Israeli interests, and we are acting accordingly,” the official said.

Israel also remains cautious in its assessment of al-Sharaa, citing both his personal history and questions surrounding the political forces underpinning his leadership.

“I judge leaders based on their history, their record and good intelligence,” the official said. “We also need to see what al-Sharaa’s political base is — people with a worldview that is not necessarily moderate.”