WASHINGTON (Dunya News) – The United States has expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its willingness to consider joining a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza, even as Islamabad has made clear that no final decision has been taken on the deployment of troops.
Speaking at an end-of-year press conference at the State Department in Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Pakistan was among several countries that had shown openness to being part of efforts aimed at restoring stability in Gaza. He clarified, however, that discussions remained exploratory and that key political and operational questions were still being addressed.
Responding to a journalist’s question on whether Pakistan had formally consented to sending troops for peacebuilding in Gaza, Rubio said the United States was “very grateful to Pakistan for their offer to be a part of it, or at least their offer to consider being a part of it”. He added that Washington still owed potential partners further clarity before seeking firm commitments.
Rubio noted that Pakistan, along with other states, was seeking answers on the mandate, structure and scope of the proposed force. He said only after these issues were resolved would the United States be in a position to formally request troop contributions. According to him, several countries acceptable to all sides of the conflict were willing to step forward, and Pakistan would be a key participant should it agree to join.
The US secretary of state said discussions were continuing on the stabilisation force’s leadership framework, funding arrangements and rules of engagement. He described the initiative as part of a broader plan that also envisages the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic authority to manage daily governance in Gaza.
Rubio said the next step would be the announcement of what he described as a “Board of Peace” alongside the formation of a Palestinian technocratic group. Once in place, he said, these structures would allow stakeholders to finalise details of the stabilisation force, including its role in security, demilitarisation and the protection of humanitarian operations.
Addressing the situation on the ground, Rubio said the current state of affairs in Gaza was unsustainable, pointing to insufficient aid flows, repeated ceasefire violations and the absence of reconstruction. He stressed the urgency of completing the first phase of the plan, which includes both the technocratic authority and the stabilisation force, to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.
He said a stabilisation force would be critical to safeguarding aid convoys, noting that such deliveries had previously been attacked or looted. With an international force in place, he added, Palestinian administrators and international partners would be able to manage technical and logistical aspects without breaching ceasefire arrangements.
US officials have said the State Department has reached out to more than 70 countries seeking troop contributions or financial support for the International Stabilisation Force. Around 19 countries have so far indicated readiness to assist through troops, logistics or equipment, with deployment potentially beginning as early as next month. Pakistan was also among nearly 45 countries that attended a recent meeting in Qatar hosted by US Central Command to discuss unresolved operational matters.
In Islamabad, the Foreign Office reiterated that no decision had yet been taken. Spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan had not committed to participating in the force and had not received any formal or specific request, adding that discussions remained ongoing in various capitals.
Rubio said the United States and its regional partners were working to accelerate the completion of the initial phase of the plan, emphasising that reconstruction and longer-term development could only begin once security and governance arrangements were firmly in place.