Egypt takes lead in shaping Gaza post-war security Preparing personnel for “the day after”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that his country has started training Palestinian officers, in coordination with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority (PA), to be able to eventually take charge of security matters in post-war Gaza.

In an exclusive interview with Egypt’s DMC TV this week, Abdelatty said around 5,000 officers would be trained to fill the “security vacuum” in the enclave, stressing that both this initiative and Gaza’s reconstruction would proceed under PA oversight.

As a BBC report summarising the interview highlights, his remarks came as Cairo hosted a Hamas delegation to revive stalled ceasefire negotiations, with Egypt ramping up efforts with all parties to secure a temporary 60-day truce.

Addressing security arrangements, Abdelatty said they must rely on Palestinian forces, pointing out that existing police in the West Bank could also play a role in the effort.

On Gaza’s post-war administration, the minister added that Cairo plans to host an International Conference for the Reconstruction of Gaza once a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is reached, where issues concerning the strip will be discussed with the participation of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, a member of the PA.

He further explained that a 15-member panel of Palestinian technocrats unaffiliated with any faction would govern Gaza for six months to enable the “rehabilitation” of PA institutions to assume control, effectively requiring Hamas to relinquish authority in favour of the PA.

However, the report notes it is still uncertain how this plan would be implemented, since Israel has consistently opposed PA control in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated this week that the territory would instead be governed by a “non-Israeli civilian administration” after the IDF’s approved occupation of Gaza City, insisting that third parties, “not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority,” would oversee it.

By Nazrin Sadigova