Gaza, Palestine – The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov, announced that approximately 2,000 Palestinians have applied to join a new Palestinian transitional police force in the Gaza Strip. He also confirmed that the actual recruitment process has already begun.
Applications are open under the supervision of a US-backed committee.
The US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza opened applications for recruitment into its police force. This coincided with the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council convened by US President Donald Trump.
In a statement, the committee explained that the recruitment is open to qualified men and women wishing to serve in the new force. It also noted that applications can be submitted through a dedicated website.
Conditions for joining the new force
The committee outlined several conditions for applicants, most notably:
Being a resident of the Gaza Strip
Being between 18 and 35 years old
Having no criminal record
Being in good physical condition
The committee also commended the efforts of police officers who continued to perform their duties during periods of bombardment, displacement, and difficult circumstances.
Ambiguity surrounds the integration of current police personnel.
The committee did not clarify whether recruitment would include police officers who served during Hamas’s control of the Gaza Strip. This comes amid reports that Hamas is seeking to integrate approximately 10,000 of its police officers into the new Palestinian Authority administration, which is backed by Washington.
Obstacles to the American plan
The formation of the new force comes within the framework of a 20-point US plan to end the war. The plan also includes handing over the administration of Gaza to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, excluding Hamas from the process. An Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hamas are among the most significant challenges to implementing this plan.
