ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated on Saturday that Pakistan is prepared to deploy troops to the proposed Gaza peace force but will not participate in any effort to disarm Hamas. The U.S.-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement calls for creating an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), largely composed of troops from Muslim-majority nations. Government insiders say Islamabad is close to finalising its position, with indications that Pakistan is inclined to join the mission.
Last week, the UN Security Council approved a U.S.-drafted resolution backing President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the Gaza conflict and authorising the ISF. Pakistan voted in favour, while Russia and China abstained. Hamas, however, rejected both the resolution and any international force tasked with disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups.
Speaking at a press conference, Dar said the question of Hamas’ disarmament surfaced during talks in Riyadh on the two-state solution. He clarified that Pakistan’s role would be limited to peacekeeping, not peace enforcement, emphasising that any weapons-related mandate should fall to Palestinian authorities. He added that Indonesia, which has reportedly offered 20,000 troops, has also expressed reservations if disarmament becomes part of the ISF’s mission.
Dar noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already agreed “in principle” to Pakistan’s participation, pending clarity on the ISF’s mandate and terms of reference. Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had dismissed claims that Pakistan would help disarm Hamas.
Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, also stressed that any stabilisation force must operate under a clear UN-sanctioned mandate, with demilitarisation achieved only through political negotiation under a unified Palestinian Authority.
