Azerbaijan will not send its troops to take part in any peacekeeping operation outside its borders, including in Gaza, President Ilham Aliyev has said. His remarks come amid ongoing discussions about a possible international presence following the ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
Speaking in an interview with Azerbaijani television channels, Aliyev said Baku had held consultations with the United States regarding a proposed peacekeeping framework for Gaza. However, he made it clear that Azerbaijan had no plans to contribute troops to such a force.
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“We prepared a questionnaire and provided it to the American side. No participation in peacekeeping forces is envisaged,” Aliyev said. He added that he was not considering involvement in any hostilities beyond Azerbaijan’s borders.
An Azerbaijani government source had earlier stated that Baku would not consider deploying troops unless there was a complete halt to fighting in Gaza. The president’s latest comments appear to confirm that Azerbaijan intends to stay out of any military or peacekeeping role in the conflict.
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Meanwhile, concerns over access to Gaza have been raised by an international media body. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has criticised Israel for continuing to bar unrestricted access for foreign journalists to the Gaza Strip, despite a ceasefire being in place.
The Israeli government recently told its supreme court that the ban should remain, citing ongoing security risks in the territory. This submission came in response to a petition filed by the FPA seeking immediate and independent access for international media.
The FPA expressed disappointment with the government’s position, saying journalists should be allowed to report freely alongside local Palestinian colleagues. Since the conflict began in October 2023, Israel has largely prevented foreign journalists from entering Gaza independently.
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Instead, limited access has been granted to selected reporters embedded with the Israeli military. The FPA has said it will submit a detailed response to the court and hopes the judiciary will uphold principles of press freedom and the public’s right to information. Israel’s supreme court is expected to rule on the matter at a later date.