US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington is thankful to Pakistan for “offering” to consider joining a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza, while making it clear that no firm commitments have yet been sought or secured.
Responding to a question on whether the United States has received Pakistan’s consent to send troops to Gaza for peacebuilding, 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 went on to say that the US remains confident about international participation, saying, “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’s remarks came during a rare, extended end-of-year news conference at the State Department, where he spoke candidly about the obstacles facing the Trump administration in advancing its Israel-Hamas peace efforts, according to Associated Press.
Pakistan minister says, ‘disarming Hamas not our job’
As Marco Rubio spoke of Islamabad’s willingness to consider a role in a Gaza stabilisation force, a Reuters report earlier this week said Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir is facing an early test of his expanded authority, with Washington pressing Pakistan to contribute troops to the proposed mission.
Underlining Islamabad’s limits, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that while Pakistan could consider peacekeeping contributions, disarming Hamas “is not our job.”
The report noted that several countries remain wary of participation, particularly if the mandate includes disarming Hamas, amid fears such a role could draw them deeper into the conflict and trigger domestic backlash from pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli groups.
Munir is expected to travel to Washington in the coming weeks for a possible meeting with Donald Trump, his third engagement with Trump in six months, with talks likely to focus on the Gaza force, according to two sources cited by Reuters.
What the ‘board of peace’ would do
Progress on Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal has been slow since it was announced in October. US officials are pushing to operationalise the plan by creating a “Board of Peace” to oversee Gaza after two years of conflict, reported AP.
While expressing hope, Rubio said that significant political and logistical challenges remain in implementing the plan to end the Israel-Hamas war. On the timeline for finalising troop contributions, Rubio said, “I think we owe them a few more answers before we get there.”
The proposal also envisages an international stabilisation force to police the territory.
He explained that once the Board of Peace and a Palestinian technocratic governing group are established, “that will allow us to firm up the stabilisation force, including how it’s going to be paid for, what the rules of engagement are, what their role will be in demilitarization,” the AP report added.
Key meetings in Miami
Rubio’s appearance coincided with high-level meetings on Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine conflict reportedly being held in Miami on Friday and Saturday. These discussions follow what US officials have described as a turbulent year for American foreign policy.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, told the Associated Press that senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting Egyptian, Turkish and Qatari officials to explore pathways to the next phase of Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war.
Meanwhile, Rubio has also taken on the additional role of national security adviser and has emerged as a strong advocate of President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, including on visa policies and internal reforms at the State Department.
www.hindustantimes.com
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