Egypt has begun training hundreds of Palestinian police officers as part of a plan to build a post-war security force in Gaza, a Palestinian official told AFP. The initiative aims to create a professional, independent force committed to serving Gaza and its residents.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced in August that Egypt plans to train 5,000 officers for Gaza during talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. The first batch of more than 500 officers underwent training in Cairo in March. Since September, two-month courses have resumed to accommodate hundreds more, the Palestinian official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
All members of this emerging force are from the Gaza Strip and will be paid by the Palestinian Authority, headquartered in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
“I’m very happy with the training. We want a permanent end to war and aggression, and we’re eager to serve our country and fellow citizens,” said a 26-year-old Palestinian officer, highlighting the personal commitment driving the new initiative.
Another Palestinian lieutenant, who left Gaza with his family last year, said the training emphasized operational readiness with modern border surveillance equipment. He stressed the importance of a force “independent, loyal only to Palestine and not subject to external alliances or objectives.” The training also reflected on the consequences of the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the broader impacts on the Palestinian cause.
The devastating conflict has taken a heavy toll. Hamas’s attack on Israel killed 1,221 people, while Israel’s retaliatory strikes have claimed at least 70,100 lives in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry, figures the UN considers reliable.
Protecting the Dream
The program further underscores the role of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and stresses the importance of “protecting the dream” of establishing a fully sovereign Palestinian state.
A senior Palestinian Authority security official confirmed that President Mahmud Abbas directed Interior Minister Ziad Hab al-Reeh to coordinate closely with Egypt on the training.
In late 2024, Egypt-mediated talks among Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Abbas’s Fatah, agreed on forming a 10,000-officer police force. Egypt would train half, while the remainder would come from Gaza’s existing police force, under Hamas control since 2007. Oversight of the force would fall to a committee of technocrats approved by Palestinian movements.
A senior Hamas official confirmed support for the agreed framework regarding Gaza’s security and management. Discussions over the security force were also referenced in former US President Donald Trump’s peace plan and supported by a UN Security Council resolution, which contributed to last month’s fragile Gaza ceasefire.
International Collaboration
The plan envisions an international force responsible for securing border areas and demilitarizing Gaza. The European Union also intends to train up to 3,000 Palestinian officers under a similar program it runs in the West Bank, which has been active since 2006 with a budget of around €13 million ($15 million).
However, many logistical details remain unresolved. A Hamas official questioned the feasibility of finalizing an agreement with Israel on the police force structure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government opposes any formal role for Hamas or the Palestinian Authority in Gaza post-conflict.
AFP journalists have noted that Hamas continues to deploy armed men to maintain local order in Gaza, managing traffic and mediating disputes. While Hamas has expressed willingness to partially disarm as part of a broader Palestinian political process, it insists on remaining a key actor in Gaza’s political landscape.
At its heart, this initiative is about rebuilding hope, stability, and local governance in a region long scarred by conflict. The young Palestinian officers training in Cairo symbolize not just a new police force, but a generation striving to serve their people and safeguard their homeland’s future.
