‘Very grateful to Pakistan’: US on Islamabad’s offer to consider role in Gaza force

US says it is ‘very grateful’ to Pakistan for considering Gaza peacekeeping role

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington is grateful to Pakistan for offering to consider participation in a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza, while emphasising that no formal commitments have been requested or secured so far.

Responding to questions on whether the United States had received Pakistan’s consent to deploy troops for peacebuilding in Gaza, Rubio said, “We’re 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 the US remains confident of wider international backing, noting that “we have a number of nation-states acceptable to all sides in this conflict who are willing to step forward and be a part of that stabilisation force.”

Rubio made the remarks during an extended end-of-year news conference at the State Department, where he acknowledged the political and logistical challenges facing the Trump administration in advancing its Israel-Hamas peace efforts, according to the Associated Press.

Pakistan sets limits

Rubio’s comments come amid reports that Washington has been urging Islamabad to contribute troops to the proposed mission. A Reuters report earlier this week said Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, is facing an early test of his expanded authority as the US presses for Pakistan’s involvement.

However, Pakistani leaders have publicly drawn clear red lines. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that while Pakistan could consider peacekeeping roles, disarming Hamas “is not our job.”

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Reuters noted that several countries remain cautious about joining the force, particularly if its mandate includes disarming Hamas, amid concerns that such a role could deepen military involvement and provoke domestic backlash.

Munir is expected to travel to Washington in the coming weeks for a possible meeting with President Donald Trump, his third interaction with Trump in six months — with discussions likely to include the Gaza stabilisation proposal, according to sources cited by Reuters.

‘Board of Peace’ proposal

Progress on Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan has been slow since it was unveiled in October. US officials are now seeking to operationalise the proposal through the creation of a “Board of Peace” that would oversee Gaza following two years of war, the AP reported.

While expressing cautious optimism, Rubio said significant hurdles remain. On finalising troop contributions, he said, “I think we owe them a few more answers before we get there.”

Under the plan, once the Board of Peace and a Palestinian technocratic governing body are established, the US would move to finalise details of the stabilisation force, including funding, rules of engagement and its role in demilitarisation, according to the AP.

High-level talks continue

Rubio’s remarks coincided with high-level discussions on Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine war being held in Miami on Friday and Saturday. A White House official told the AP that senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting officials from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to explore next steps in Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict.

Meanwhile, Rubio has also assumed the additional role of national security adviser and has emerged as a key proponent of Trump’s “America First” agenda, including tougher visa policies and internal reforms at the State Department.