Rubio: US aims for Palestinian civil authorities in Gaza to ensure stability

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington aims to see Palestinian civil authorities established in Gaza eventually, as part of efforts to stabilise the region following the recent ceasefire.

Speaking to journalists about the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, Rubio acknowledged the ongoing threats but expressed cautious optimism about progress so far, Caliber.Az reports via the US State Department. 

“Ad we build this thing out, we most certainly will have – look, we would like to see civil authorities, Palestinian civil authorities, in Gaza eventually. That’s what we’re aiming for. We’d like to see Palestinian police forces in Gaza that are not Hamas and that are going to do a good job, but those still have to be trained and equipped,” Rubio said.

However, he cautioned that establishing these authorities will take time. 

“I mean, you don’t just hire people as police officers. You’ve got to vet them. You’ve got to train them. You have to make sure that the infrastructure is in place,” he added. 

Rubio underscored the continued danger posed by Hamas, describing the group as “a terrorist organization” and “a danger, not just to Israel but to the people of Gaza.” To stabilise the region, he stressed the necessity of an international security force on the ground to prevent further violence.

Rubio emphasised the early stage of the effort: “I mean, this thing is only seven, eight days old, so there’s a lot of work to be done. But we’re really committed to making sure we see this through.”

He indicated that training and equipping Palestinian civil forces is part of an agreed plan, though the timeline for implementation remains uncertain. 

By Sabina Mammadli