Diplomats say Egypt, EU won’t train Hamas-linked officers for Gaza police force

Neither Egypt nor the European Union will train police officers in Gaza who are affiliated with Hamas, an Egyptian and a European diplomat tell The Times of Israel, following reports that Hamas is seeking roles for its 10,000 police officers in the postwar Strip.

Both Egypt and the EU have been preparing to expand training of Palestinian police for deployment in Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s plan for the territory, which authorizes the deployment of a temporary International Stabilization Force that would support and work alongside a “newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force.”

In December, officials told The Times of Israel that the new force would be free of Hamas-affiliated personnel, despite reports at the time indicating that Hamas members could continue to police Gaza as part of the newly installed body.

Israel regards all elements of Hamas, including its police, as components of the terrorist organization.

Now, the Egyptian and European diplomats reiterate that Cairo and Brussels will play no role in training any personnel tied to Hamas. The European diplomat notes that any officers trained by the EU would be vetted by Israel for any affiliation with the terror group.

Discussions are still ongoing about amending the current mandate of EUPOL COPPS — the EU’s existing police support mission in the West Bank — to include the training of officers for deployment in Gaza, the European diplomat says.

That envoy adds that no deployment date for the police force could be given, as neither vetting nor training has begun, and details remain unclear surrounding the ISF’s role and deployment.

“This all is linked to the ISF,” the European diplomat says, adding that the form and composition of the international force remains undetermined, though Indonesia recently said it would be contributing troops.

“Now we’re waiting for the ISF to start taking shape. And that’s a bit out of our hands. It’s in the hands of the US, which is the lead on this,” they said.