Egypt trains Palestinian police to assume security, law enforcement duties in Gaza: FM

CAIRO – 1 March 2025: Egypt is conducting training programs in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority to prepare Palestinian police personnel to assume security and law enforcement duties in the Gaza Strip, Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty stated on Saturday.

Abdelatty met with Palestinian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Mustafa in Cairo to discuss recent developments concerning the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian Authority’s future role of Gaza.

In a press conference following the meeting, Abdelatty emphasized the importance of supporting the activities of the administrative committee that will be responsible for managing daily affairs in Gaza.

He noted that the committee will operate for a six-month transitional period, in parallel with the empowerment of the Palestinian Authority to manage the resources of the enclave.

The Egyptian foreign minister added that this step emphasizes the unity between Gaza and the West Bank.

 

Late in 2024, Hamas and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party reportedly agreed to create a committee to jointly run Gaza following the Israeli war.

The Palestinian prime minister’s visit to Cairo comes while the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which halted over 15 months of Israeli war that has claimed more than 48,000 lives, expires on Saturday.

Negotiations for the implementation of the second phase are yet to yield progress with Hamas rejecting Israeli proposals to extend the first phase of the agreement rather that moving forward to the next phase.

The second phase aims to establish a permanent cessation of war, ensure a full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and facilitate the release of dozens of captives still held by Hamas.

Negotiations on the future of the ceasefire were recently conducted in Cairo in the presence of Israeli and Qatari delegations as well as US representatives.

A key point in the talks is the future governance of Gaza. Hamas, which rules Gaza currently, has rejected Israeli calls for disarmament and expulsion from the enclave.

In January, the Palestinian Presidency announced that the government, under Abbas’ directives, has finalized preparations to assume full responsibility in Gaza.

Last month, the Palestinian presidency also unveiled a plan for the future of Palestinian territories following the Gaza war, which includes assuming responsibility in the enclave and managing border crossings.

The PA’s plan emphasizes the need for general elections—both presidential and legislative—across Gaza and the West Bank within a year, contingent on prevailing circumstances.

Abbas is set to present this plan at the emergency Arab summit in Cairo, scheduled for Tuesday.

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Egypt again affirms its clear and first stance towards rejecting any proposal or scheme that includes the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip, stated Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Saturday.#Egypt…

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) March 1, 2025

GAZA RECONSTRUCION

Abdelatty said he discussed with Mustafa the multi-phase plan for Gaza reconstruction set to be presented to the summit, highlighting the importance of establishing a reconstruction fund for Gaza.

He noted that the plan includes the removal of debris and unexploded ordnance, as well as early recovery and rebuilding of the enclave.

Under the plan, the Palestinian people in Gaza will be provided with temporary housing units, followed by efforts to build permanent housing units for them, Abdelatty said.

He stressed the importance of full coordination between Egypt and the State of Palestine regarding the preparation of this plan, in collaboration with international institutions, foremost among them the United Nations agencies and the World Bank.