Pakistan plans to send peace troops to Gaza: 'We will be proud to do it'

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government will take a decision after consulting parliament and other relevant institutions

Pakistan is planning to send troops to Gaza as part of the proposed peacekeeping force after a truce was brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier this month, Geo News reported.

 

The country's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government will consult parliament and other relevant institutions before taking a decision. "If Pakistan has to participate in it, then I think it will be a matter of pride for us. We will be proud to do it,” he told Geo News.

 

Trump-brokered ceasefire deal

 

Earlier this month, Trump brokered a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, bringing the two-year-long war to a halt. Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas was required to disarm and release the hostages and the remains of those killed. 

 

 

The deal also called for a so-called international stabilisation force to maintain security. However, no country has committed troops to the force yet, while some have said they want more clarity on its mandate before sending soldiers.

 

US-Pakistan ties

 

Pakistan's willingness to send troops to Gaza comes amid Islamabad's improved ties with Washington. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, touting his role as a mediator in the India-Pakistan conflict that occurred in May this year.

 

Trump also hosted Sharif and Munir at the White House, showering praise on both leaders.

 

Ceasefire violated?

 

On Tuesday (local time), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered "powerful strikes" by militant group Hamas in response to an alleged attack on Israeli IDF soldiers in Rafah, Gaza. The strikes killed at least 60 people, including children, and also injured many more. 

 

The Israeli government spokesperson also accused the militant group of misidentifying the remains of a hostage, adding that they "fabricated the discovery". However, the militant group rejected the accusation, stating that the group is trying to locate the remaining bodies amid the destruction caused by Israel's two-year offensive. Hamas' spokesperson Hazem Qassem said, "The movement is determined to hand over the bodies of the Israeli captives as soon as possible once they are located."

 

According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 68,500 Palestinians have died in the two-year-long war.