MIAMI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington welcomes Pakistan’s readiness to explore a possible role in an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza.
Addressing reporters, Rubio emphasized the need for Hamas to be disarmed and expressed cautious optimism about progress toward the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as senior regional officials gathered for talks.
Foreign ministers from Qatar and Egypt — the main brokers of the ceasefire — along with representatives from Turkey arrived in Miami on Friday to meet US officials, including Steve Witkoff, a close associate of President Donald Trump and his special envoy.
Rubio acknowledged that securing lasting peace in Gaza remains extremely challenging, describing the ceasefire that began in October — which included the release of hostages — as nothing short of extraordinary.
“Maintaining it is difficult, and challenges are emerging from every direction,” Rubio said during a press briefing in Washington.
Under the proposed second phase of the agreement, Israeli forces would pull back from Gaza, governance of the territory would shift to a temporary authority replacing Hamas, and an international stabilization force would be deployed.
Rubio cautioned that without the disarmament of Hamas, the peace process would collapse.
“As long as Hamas retains the ability to threaten or attack Israel, peace will remain impossible,” he said, stressing that disarmament is essential.
However, Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya reiterated on Sunday that the group considers possession of weapons a “legitimate right.” Israel has consistently maintained that Hamas must be stripped of its arms.
Another senior Hamas figure said negotiations must focus on stopping what he described as Israeli violations of the ceasefire.
“Our people expect these talks to end Israel’s ongoing violations, stop unlawful actions, and force the occupation to comply with the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement,” Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP.
