Egypt Training Thousands of Palestinians for Postwar Gaza Security Force

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Egypt has begun training hundreds of Palestinians to form a new security force of up to 10,000 personnel to operate in Gaza after the war, Arab officials told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The effort, backed by several Arab states, reflects a shared vision of postwar Gaza without Hamas.

According to WSJ, potential recruits–mainly from the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security services in the West Bank–have already started training at Egyptian military academies. Some members of the PA’s Fatah faction from Gaza may also join. Mahmoud al-Habbash, a senior adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed the plan, stating that 5,000 security personnel would begin six months of training in Egypt as soon as a ceasefire takes hold. “Hamas should not be part of the day after,” Habbash said. “Without the PA, it’s either Hamas or chaos.”

Israel, however, has made clear its opposition to the PA returning to power in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has portrayed the body as little different from Hamas. Amir Avivi, a former Israeli defense official close to the government, told WSJ that Israel would not accept PA security forces in Gaza, arguing instead that locals unaffiliated with Hamas or the PA should handle policing under Israeli security oversight.

Arab states remain divided over the details. The United Arab Emirates has insisted that reforms to the PA must come before it supports the authority’s role in Gaza. Most of the force is expected to come from Egypt, with smaller contingents from Jordan and Gulf states.

The training initiative comes amid a rare consensus among Arab countries–including Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia–that Hamas must step aside. In July, the Arab League for the first time explicitly called on Hamas to disarm and end its rule. Still, Hamas has rejected plans that would strip it of power, most recently spurning an Egyptian-Qatari proposal in favor of a 60-day cease-fire deal tied to prisoner exchanges.

Palestinians themselves remain deeply skeptical of the PA. A May poll found that 81% want Abbas to resign, reflecting years of corruption allegations and eroded legitimacy. Analysts told the WSJ that Arab states view the training effort as an attempt to rehabilitate the PA’s standing. Even so, experts caution that any postwar arrangement would need to integrate some former Hamas police to avoid a fractured security environment–and would likely require U.S. pressure on Israel to move forward.

Cease-fire negotiations remain stalled. Hamas is pressing a proposal nearly identical to one Israel made in July. Still, Netanyahu insists on a single deal that would free all hostages and end Hamas’s control of Gaza.

Despite devastating losses–including the killing of senior leaders like Yahya Sinwar–Hamas is believed to retain roughly 20,000 fighters, though many are untrained recruits. WSJ noted the group is struggling financially and organizationally as Israel’s campaign continues.

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