Kazakhstan and several other countries have offered to deploy thousands of troops to Gaza as part of an international effort to help maintain peace in the Palestinian enclave, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said.

“Countries such as Uganda, Morocco and Kazakhstan have offered thousands of troops for these efforts,” Waltz said, The Caspian Post reports, citing Exclusive.kz.

The US diplomat said military personnel from countries that have offered forces are expected to deploy to Gaza, while acknowledging that the process has been moving more slowly than Washington had anticipated.

The potential deployment is part of efforts to establish an international security presence in Gaza following the conflict in the enclave.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had previously confirmed that Astana was prepared to send military units to Gaza as part of an international force.