News reports suggest the US government is seeking a revamp of the Palestinian Authority (PA), particularly its American-trained security forces, as one possible solution to the post-war governance of Gaza.
US news site Axios reports the Biden administration is “proposing the Palestinian Authority re-activate members of its security forces in Gaza to prepare a local security and police force for the enclave after the conflict, US officials say”.
Axios – citing a source “with direct knowledge of the issue” – reported the PA recently contacted former security officers still at an eligible age for service to see if they were potentially interested in returning.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in Ramallah.
A senior administration official said in a call with reporters from Tel Aviv the PA’s security forces will be one topic of discussion, along with “the capacity of the Palestinian Authority, which we recognise needs to be revamped, revitalised”.
The Palestinian National Security Forces currently operates in the occupied West Bank. But many perceive it as a tool of the Israeli security apparatus – its US-trained forces not only targeting those suspected of planning attacks on Israelis but also arresting union figures, journalists and critics on social media.
Source: AlJazeera
