Kiryat gat: The US is exploring ways to deploy international forces to Gaza, possibly under a UN mandate, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday. 'Some of these countries can't participate unless they have a mandate from the UN,' Rubio told the press at the US-Israel coordination center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat, 56 kilometers south of Israel's capital, Tel Aviv.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rubio mentioned that a UN resolution could be one of the routes to achieve this deployment. He suggested that an international agreement could also be a possibility, indicating that the US is working on finding the right formula to facilitate the deployment. Rubio expressed optimism about the progress being made despite acknowledging that the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal would not be straightforward.

Rubio also expressed concerns about Israeli legislative moves to annex the occupied West Bank, describing it as a threat to the peace process. He reiterated the importance of the Abraham Accords, emphasizing the desire to include as many members as possible in the normalization deals initiated in 2020 between Israel and several Arab countries.

Rubio's visit to the region followed a three-day visit by Vance, during which he engaged in discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials. The discussions come in the wake of the first phase of Trump's 20-point Gaza ceasefire deal, reached on October 10. This initial phase involves the exchange of hostages and prisoners, alongside plans to rebuild Gaza and establish a new governance structure excluding Hamas.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since October 2023, the ongoing conflict has resulted in over 68,200 deaths and more than 170,300 injuries, highlighting the urgent need for effective and sustainable peace solutions in the region.