Former foreign minister Shireen Mazari has strongly criticised the proposed “International Stabilisation Force” for Gaza, warning that it risks undermining international law and Pakistan’s long-standing principled position on Palestine.
Read More: UN-led stabilization force may deploy in Gaza next month
Writing on the issue, she argued that the plan, initially floated by former US president Donald Trump and later reshaped alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, effectively seeks to achieve objectives Israel failed to realise through military force.
The second phase of the US-backed Gaza plan promises a permanent ceasefire. But with repeated violations and no enforcement, that promise looks fragile. Can peace exist without accountability? #AWANIInternational pic.twitter.com/Jx5ySYX2yb
— AWANI International (@poweraffairs) December 24, 2025
Mazari said the plan envisages deploying troops from Muslim countries to Gaza under external command, with the stated aim of stabilisation. In reality, she argued, the force would be tasked with disarming Hamas, securing Israeli objectives and facilitating a continued Israeli military presence, rather than ensuring peace or Palestinian self-determination. She noted that despite claims of a ceasefire, Israeli military operations, civilian casualties and restrictions on humanitarian aid have continued unabated.
The former minister expressed scepticism over reports suggesting Pakistan had volunteered troops for the plan, stressing that such a move would contradict Islamabad’s historic support for Palestine and potentially place Pakistani soldiers in direct conflict with both Hamas and Israeli forces. She emphasised that there can be no meaningful stabilisation without an immediate, effective ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Drawing on historical precedents, Mazari highlighted the failures of non-UN-mandated or externally controlled military interventions, citing Lebanon in the 1980s and Nato’s takeover of the UN-sanctioned mission in Afghanistan. She argued that peacekeeping and enforcement efforts have consistently proven ineffective and destabilising when conducted outside a clear UN Security Council mandate and command structure.
Read More: Israel vows to stay in Gaza, plans northern outposts
Mazari concluded that the proposed Trump-Netanyahu plan lacks legitimacy and viability. She urged Pakistan to learn from past mistakes and maintain its commitment to UN-led processes, insisting that any role in Gaza must begin with a UN-supervised ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal and a genuine path towards an independent Palestinian state.