Gaza Peace draft changes trigger caution in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:  A day after US President Donald Trump unveiled his ambitious 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, Islamabad has voiced strong reservations, signalling that the proposal in its current form will not be acceptable without key changes sought by a coalition of Muslim nations.

Addressing a press conference, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar made it clear that Pakistan would only support the US peace plan if the amendments jointly proposed by eight Muslim countries were incorporated.

“The document has been issued by the US. This is not our document which we sent to them,” he said, distancing Islamabad from the draft despite Trump’s claims that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir backed the plan “100 percent.”

Mr. Dar stressed that Pakistan stood by the joint statement issued by the coalition of eight Muslim countries. “If there is a difference, we will go by this,” he said, underscoring the bloc’s collective stance.

The Trump plan envisions an independent technocratic Palestinian government overseen by an international body largely composed of Palestinians.

Responding to questions about Pakistan’s potential participation in an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza, Dar remained cautious.

“On the ground, there will be Palestinian law enforcement agencies, supported by separate forces. Indonesia has offered 20,000 troops, and I am sure Pakistan’s leadership will also make a decision on this,” he said, adding that the deployment framework would be formalized at the UN Security Council.

Dar detailed the diplomatic efforts behind the plan, noting that one of Pakistan’s main objectives during the UN General Assembly session was to work with like-minded countries to end the suffering in Gaza.

He said eight Muslim countries, including Pakistan, engaged Trump to push for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, an end to forced displacement, the return of refugees, Gaza’s reconstruction, and halting Israel’s annexation of the West Bank.

However, significant last-minute changes to the draft — reportedly at the request of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — have drawn criticism from several Arab and Muslim states.

Trump has given Hamas “three to four days” to accept the proposal or face a “very sad end.” Speaking to reporters, he said Israeli and Arab leaders had already endorsed the plan and were “just waiting for Hamas.”

A source close to Hamas told international media that the proposal was “completely biased towards Israel” and imposed “impossible conditions” aimed at dismantling the group.

Qatar confirmed Hamas is “responsibly” studying the plan, but a senior Hamas figure told the media that the group is likely to reject it, saying it “serves Israel’s interests” while ignoring Palestinian aspirations.

The diplomatic push continues as the deadline for Hamas’s response looms, leaving the fate of Trump’s peace initiative uncertain.