Islamabad Signals Gaza deployment as part of peace force, draws red line on Hamas disarmament

Pakistan ready for Gaza peacekeeping mission

Pakistan is prepared to send troops to the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday, emphasising that the country would not take part in disarming Palestinian resistance groups, Dawn reported.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dar said the matter of Hamas’ disarmament first came up during a meeting in Riyadh on the two-state solution. “We are not ready for that. This is not our job, but of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies. Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement. We are definitely ready to contribute to the force — the prime minister has in principle already announced after consultation with the field marshal that we will contribute — but this decision cannot be taken until it is decided what its [ISF] mandate and TOR (terms of reference) will be,” he said.

Dar added, “As per my information, if it will include disarming Hamas, then even my Indonesian counterpart has informally expressed his reservation.”

The announcement comes as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) last week endorsed a US-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement, which calls for the establishment of the ISF composed mainly of troops from Muslim-majority countries. The resolution, passed with 13 votes in favour and abstentions from Russia and China, authorises the international force to stabilise Gaza and oversee its reconstruction, although Hamas has rejected the plan.

Officials familiar with the deliberations told Dawn that discussions within the government and military establishment were at an “advanced stage,” and Islamabad appeared inclined to take part in the mission once its mandate was clarified.

Dar also highlighted previous comments from Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who stressed during the UNSC vote that the ISF could only stabilise Gaza if it operated under a clear UN-consistent mandate, adding that disarmament “must be carried out through a negotiated political process under a unified Palestinian National Authority.”

He recalled that Indonesia had offered 20,000 troops and that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had signalled “in principle” that Pakistan would positively consider participation.

The foreign minister’s remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of Pakistan’s role in regional security affairs. Last month, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif condemned earlier suggestions that Pakistan would participate in disarming Hamas, stating that the country’s contribution would remain strictly peacekeeping.

Dar also addressed other regional matters, including tensions with Afghanistan. Referring to retaliatory measures following attacks by Afghan nationals, he said Pakistan chose restraint despite having “ample kinetic capabilities,” adding, “The situation was possibly leading to that stage when this issue began. Qatar…requested that ‘please stop your side and we will mediate, take responsibility and get the issue resolved,’” according to Dawn.

He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the army chief for supporting his approach, saying, “The cleanup operation that was about to happen that night — that would have surely taught them a lesson — was stopped.”

On humanitarian matters, Dar said he was working to restore the delivery of relief goods and essential aid to Afghanistan “for the sake of the Afghan people,” with approval from the army chief and pending clearance from the prime minister.