Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has announced that Cairo has completed preparations to train approximately 5,000 Palestinian officers as part of an international effort to fill the security vacuum in Gaza once the current conflict ends. Speaking to local broadcaster DMC TV, Abdelatty confirmed that the officers will be trained in Egypt, in coordination with Jordan, to take over key policing and administrative responsibilities in the war-torn enclave.
The initiative forms part of a wider postwar strategy aimed at restoring stability and governance in Gaza, which has suffered extensive destruction as a result of the ongoing war. Egypt will also host an upcoming international conference dedicated to Gaza’s reconstruction, where it plans to reveal its comprehensive vision for managing the territory during the transitional period.
According to Abdelatty, an agreement has already been reached on appointing 15 prominent figures from Gaza to lead the enclave’s administration for the first six months after the war. He emphasised that the Palestinian Authority remains the only legitimate body to govern Gaza, aligning with the broader plan adopted by the Arab League at its March summit in Cairo. This plan calls for Hamas to step aside in favour of a technocratic committee tasked with overseeing the territory for an initial six-month period.
Samir Hulileh, a US-backed nominee to lead Gaza during this transitional phase, said the civilian administration could last between six months and a year. However, he stressed that its implementation depends on two crucial conditions: a comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. These matters are currently under negotiation in Egypt, with Qatar and the United States acting as key mediators.
The process is further complicated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements reiterating his intention to reoccupy Gaza and potentially facilitate the departure of Palestinians from the strip. Netanyahu has proposed that after Israel’s occupation of Gaza City, the territory should be governed by a “non-Israeli civilian administration” that excludes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. While he mentioned that third parties would manage this administration, no specific details have yet been provided.
As international discussions continue, Egypt’s training program for Palestinian officers represents one of the most concrete steps taken so far towards preparing for Gaza’s postwar governance, signalling a push for an organised, locally driven approach to restoring security, law enforcement, and civil administration in the enclave.
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