Boots in Gaza | The Express Tribune

For decades, Pakistan has unequivocally stood with Palestinians. We have condemned Israeli aggression and consistently defended Palestinian rights at the UN. Today, words are no longer enough. Israel’s bombardment continues unchecked. The ceasefire, reached through global intervention, had been broken within days. Humanitarian aid remains obstructed. And Gaza is on the brink of catastrophe, with civilians paying the highest price.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has announced that Pakistan is ready to send troops to the International Stabilisation Force under the US-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement. The UN Security Council recently endorsed the US plan, authorising the ISF, while Hamas rejected the resolution, warning against any attempt to disarm Palestinian forces. Indonesia has offered 20,000 troops but has expressed reservations about such a mandate. Dar, however, has been explicit that Pakistani soldiers will focus only on protecting civilians and ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches those trapped in Gaza.

Disarmament is a function of Palestinian authorities, not foreign armies. A peacekeeping contingent that transforms into a force of coercion would not be stabilisation but occupation by another name. The scars of Afghanistan and Iraq prove that “neutral” international missions often become political actors. Pakistan must not become the foot soldier of someone else’s geopolitical architecture. Therefore, disarming Hamas or interfering with Palestinian resistance is categorically off the table, and Pakistan is not here to enforce someone else’s agenda.

Pakistan’s military is respected for its professionalism in peacekeeping missions from Africa to the Balkans. It thus has the experience needed to protect civilians without undermining Palestinian sovereignty. Participating countries must seek binding guarantees from the UN that the ISF will not become an occupation surrogate or a mechanism to suppress Palestinian resistance at the behest of Israel or the US.