WASHINGTON: The United States has not yet received Pakistan’s formal consent to deploy troops to Gaza for peacebuilding, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, stressing that Islamabad has only expressed willingness to consider participation.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio said Washington was “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,” adding that several key issues still need clarification before any firm commitment can be sought.
“I think we owe them a few more answers before we can ask anybody to firmly commit,” Rubio said, referring to concerns related to protections for Gazans and clear terms of engagement.
He expressed confidence that multiple nation-states acceptable to all parties involved in the conflict are ready to contribute to a proposed stabilisation force in Gaza once the framework is finalised.
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