Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday emphasized that the mandate of the planned International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza should focus on monitoring the ceasefire and securing the territory’s borders, and suggested a broader role for Pakistan in the reconstruction and recovery of the conflict-torn territory.
“Our position on the stabilization force is clear: its primary mandate must be to monitor the ceasefire on the ground to ensure that both sides meet their commitments and secure Gaza’s borders,” he said while speaking to Sunrise shortly after landing in Islamabad for a two-day visit during which he would discuss with Pakistani leaders a broad agenda, from consultations on conflicts, including Gaza and Sudan, and the dispute over the Iranian nuclear program, to ways to step up economic cooperation.
His comments came after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar publicly revealed for the first time that Islamabad had conveyed to its international partners its willingness to contribute troops to the stabilization force.
Similar to Pakistan’s position seeking to avoid becoming involved in the controversial issue of Hamas disarmament, Abdelatty said the details of the force were still being negotiated.
“We are working with several partners, including the United States, to agree on a specific mission and mandate that should focus on peacekeeping, not peace enforcement.
“We must agree on the countries that will contribute troops, the mission, the mandate, the guarantees and the safeguards,” he said, noting that everything is still under discussion.
Abdelatty said Egypt would host a Gaza reconstruction conference and hoped Pakistan would play a broader role.
“As for Gaza, we need everything from Pakistan, not only financing, but also the participation of private companies in the reconstruction and recovery efforts. We also need technical assistance and medical support. There are 50,000 medical cases in Gaza that require urgent intervention.
“We expect a more committed role from your great country,” he added.
Abdelatty noted that both Pakistan and Egypt viewed the creation of a Palestinian state as the only path to sustainable peace.
Gaza is not the only conflict on their agenda.
“We are also discussing other issues, including Sudan, where the situation is disastrous. We must intensify efforts to stop this ugly war and the killing of civilians.
“The same applies to other regional files, including the Iranian nuclear issue. We need a reduction in tensions, dialogue and a peaceful resolution of disputes. Egypt and Pakistan share the same views. We believe in reducing tensions with Iran, resuming peaceful processes and upholding the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
“There are no military solutions, only political and peaceful ones. We must work together to reduce tension.”
On the bilateral front, he called for expanding economic ties. He said both countries should double trade volume, boost mutual investments and strengthen South-South cooperation.
He pointed out the proposals under discussion, including reformulating the Pakistan-Egypt Business Council and calling for a business forum in Karachi or Cairo to connect the private sectors of both countries.
He said Egypt and Pakistan should enhance cooperation in energy, textiles, food processing, agriculture, information technology, digitalization, artificial intelligence and petrochemicals, while expanding collaboration on counterterrorism, combating illegal migration and trafficking, and pursuing defense cooperation focused on technology transfer and joint projects.
