US asks Italy to join Gaza security force as founding member

Donato Paolo Mancini, Bloomberg News on Jan 24, 2026

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The U.S. has asked Italy to join the International Stabilization Force for Gaza as a founding member, people familiar with the matter said, as the Trump administration tries to bolster the credibility of the initiative.

Diplomats made the offer to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office and to Italy’s foreign ministry this week, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. The decision on whether to join now rests with Meloni, the people added, and no decision’s been made.

Under the proposal Italy wouldn’t contribute troops to the ISF. Instead, an earlier pledge to train Gaza’s future police force would suffice, with Italy’s main contribution coming from its political clout with Arab states, Israel, and the Palestinians, the people added.

Meloni’s office declined to comment and the foreign ministry didn’t respond to requests for comment.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers also declined to say if the U.S. had extended an invitation to Rome. “Announcements on the ISF will come soon,” she said.

Asked about Italy, a U.S. official said that several countries were interested in participating in Trump’s peace efforts in Gaza, and that the U.S. was in talks with partner nations.

President Donald Trump in October announced a 20-point plan to bring peace after two years of war that has devastated Gaza and left 72,000 dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave, which doesn’t distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties.

That plan has suffered significant delays, and Israel and Hamas remain at odds over key elements and sequencing. Meanwhile, the U.S. has struggled to find countries willing to contribute troops to the stabilization force. Separately, U.S. allies in the Group of Seven nations also largely shunned the signing ceremony for Trump’s so-called Board of Peace on Thursday.

The high-profile panel of world leaders was meant to oversee the political transition in Gaza but has become mired in controversy, including a proposal that Trump lead the group for life and a draft charter requiring countries to make a $1 billion contribution to maintain a permanent board seat.

Trump has also threatened France with tariffs for declining an invitation, and rescinded an offer to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after he delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that rebuked Trump’s economic coercion of smaller countries — though without naming the U.S. president.

There are some doubts on the Italian side on whether and how to join the ISF, some of the people said, although there’s political will to participate in the overall peace effort for Gaza. Meloni justified her non-signature of the Board of Peace charter by saying it would clash with Italy’s constitution, though she stressed she remained open to changes in the charter.

Italy’s right-wing leader has engaged in a balancing act with Trump since he returned to power in 2025, avoiding overt criticism at nearly all costs. On Friday, speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, she defended Trump and his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

(Josh Wingrove, Eric Martin and John Harney contributed to this report.)