Pakistan signals readiness to join Gaza peace force

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said Pakistan was prepared to commit its troops to the Gaza peace force, while clearly distancing the country from any involvement in the disarmament of Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

“We are not ready for that. This is not our job, but that of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies. Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement. We are fully ready to contribute to the force, the prime minister has already stated in principle, after consultations with the field marshal, that Pakistan will contribute but this decision cannot be taken until the mandate and TORs (terms of reference) of the ISF are clarified,” he said.

He added that even his Indonesian counterpart had informally expressed reservations if disarmament was included in the mandate.

Dar said he had been present during the initial discussions regarding the force. Indonesia, he said, had offered 20,000 troops, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also indicated a positive stance regarding Pakistan’s participation.

Dar added that he had received the army chief’s approval and was awaiting the prime minister’s final confirmation.

A key element of the United States–brokered Gaza Peace Agreement is the creation of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), expected to consist primarily of troops from Muslim-majority nations. According to officials engaged in the discussions, the federal government may issue a formal announcement soon.

Officials familiar with the internal consultations, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the discussions within the civilian and military leadership were already at an “advanced stage”.

They added that the tone of the deliberations strongly indicated Islamabad’s inclination to join the mission.

Last week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) approved a resolution drafted by the United States endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict. The resolution also authorises the establishment of the ISF for the Palestinian territory. Thirteen UNSC members, including Pakistan, voted in favour, while Russia and China abstained.

Hamas rejected the resolution and criticised the creation of an international force whose objectives, it claimed, included the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza.

The foreign minister said the question of Hamas’ disarmament first arose during a meeting in Riyadh regarding the two-state solution. He was addressing a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.