Hamas seeks role for its police in Gaza ahead of disarmament talks, sources say

Hamas is seeking to incorporate its 10,000 police officers into a new United States-backed Palestinian administration for Gaza, sources said, a demand likely to be opposed by Israel as the group debates whether to surrender its arms. The group retains control of just under half of Gaza following an October ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump. The agreement ties further Israeli troop withdrawals to Hamas giving up its weapons. A 20-point plan to end the conflict, now in its second phase, calls for governance of Gaza to be handed to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body with US oversight that is meant to exclude Hamas. Read More: School materials allowed into Gaza after two years of Israeli blockages, UN agency says Hamas urges personnel to cooperate In a letter to staff on Sunday seen by Reuters, Gaza’s Hamas-run government urged more than 40,000 civil servants and security personnel to cooperate with the NCAG, while assuring them it was working to incorporate them into the new administration. That would include the roughly 10,000-strong Hamas-run police force, four sources familiar with the matter said, a demand not previously reported. Many of the officers have been patrolling Gaza as Hamas reasserts its grip in areas under its control. It was not immediately clear whether Israel, which has adamantly rejected any Hamas involvement in Gaza’s future, would agree to the inclusion of Hamas-affiliated civil and security workers in the NCAG. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Major sticking points remain Hamas’ push to preserve jobs for its police and civil servants underscores deep gaps between Hamas and Israel, backed by the US, as Trump presses ahead with his Gaza plans. Last week, Trump hosted a signing ceremony to establish a “Board of Peace” that will serve as a transitional administration to coordinate funding and set a framework for Gaza’s redevelopment. The framework bars “foreign terrorist organisations” from participating in governance. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters the group was ready to hand over governance immediately to the 15-member NCAG and its chair, Ali Shaath. “We have full confidence that it will operate on the basis of benefiting from qualified personnel and not wasting the rights of anyone who worked during the previous period,” Qassem said, referring to the 40,000 employees. The four sources said Hamas was open to the NCAG restructuring ministries and sending some workers into retirement, but warned mass dismissals could lead to chaos. Hamas and Shaath have not yet met in person to discuss governance, a Hamas official said. Shaath’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Also Read: Parliament to decide Pakistani troop deployment to Gaza: security sources Another unresolved issue is whether Sami Nasman, a former Palestinian Authority general designated to oversee security under the NCAG, could operate effectively, a Palestinian official said. Nasman, originally from Gaza, moved to the occupied West Bank after Hamas ousted Palestinian Authority forces from the enclave in 2007. A Hamas court later sentenced him in absentia, accusing him of instigating chaos, a charge he denies. Disarmament questions The Trump administration wants heavy weapons decommissioned immediately, with “personal arms registered and decommissioned by sector as NCAG police become capable of guaranteeing personal security”, according to a document shared by the White House last week. A US official said on Tuesday that Hamas fighters would be granted some form of amnesty. Hamas is believed to still possess rockets, which diplomats estimate number in the hundreds, as well as thousands of light weapons, including rifles. The group has agreed to discuss disarmament with other Palestinian factions and with mediators, sources said. However, two Hamas officials told Reuters that neither Washington nor mediators had presented any detailed or concrete disarmament proposal. A Palestinian official close to the talks said the US had approached Hamas about possible disarmament mechanisms involving Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye. “Hamas has spoken about the possibility of neutralising arms if there is a truce, and it is ready for a long-term ceasefire of five years or more,” the official said. “But Hamas believes a serious political negotiation process on Palestinian statehood must begin, under which weapons and fighters would come under the authority of the State of Palestine,” the official added. Hamas is not the only armed faction in Gaza. A source in a Gaza group allied with Hamas said other factions were discussing disarmament but feared being left defenceless. Addressing parliament on Monday, Netanyahu said the next phase of the Gaza deal “is not reconstruction”, but rather “demilitarisation of the strip and disarming Hamas”.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/ruMkea6