Diplomats push back at claim Hamas members to be part of new body, as Cairo trains thousands of recruits and Brussels looks to join effort, possibly influence postwar Strip.
Egypt and the European Union are preparing to expand training of Palestinian police for deployment in Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Strip, two diplomats and a foreign official briefed on the issue have told The Times of Israel. The force, like many components of the US framework, remains largely aspirational, said the officials, who included an Arab and a European diplomat. They noted that its size, composition, command structure, deployment zones, and responsibilities have yet to be finalized.
But with the Trump plan now backed by a United Nations Security Council resolution, and as officials await the transition to its second phase, Cairo and Brussels are increasingly focused on building out the police force — mainly by training Palestinian officers ahead of deployment. The Security Council resolution authorizes the establishment of a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza to help secure the border, ensure demilitarization, protect civilians and humanitarian operations, and support and work alongside “the newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force.”
Before the war, Gaza was policed by an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 officers serving under the auspices of Hamas, which has controlled the Strip since 2007, but is supposed to cede power under the Trump plan. In its place, the international community is seeking to install an armed Palestinian force tasked with day-to-day law enforcement among the Strip’s approximately two million inhabitants. (Read More)
