Egypt Secretly Training Palestinian Forces to Take Over Gaza After the War
Security and diplomatic sources reveal Cairo’s months-long program to prepare Fatah-loyal Palestinian personnel for post-war governance of Gaza — a plan tied to Jordanian cooperation, UN peacekeeping proposals, and contentious Gulf funding demands.Ask ChatGPT
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Egypt has been quietly training Palestinian Authority (PA) forces for months to assume security control in the Gaza Strip as part of a broader post-war reconstruction and governance plan, security and diplomatic sources told Middle East Eye.
The Training Program
The initiative, rooted in a 1993 Oslo framework, has seen 300 PA personnel sent to Cairo: 100 police officers, 100 national security officers, 50 preventive security members, and 50 intelligence operatives. All trainees are aligned with Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction, avoiding figures loyal to rival Mohammed Dahlan to prevent PA objections and secure Saudi backing, sources said.
A smaller contingent has trained in Jordan, but Cairo and Amman are seeking Gulf funding to expand the program. Since the 1990s, Egypt has periodically hosted PA forces for police and military training at elite academies, including the Higher Military and Strategic Studies Academy.
Post-War Governance Plan
The plan, unveiled by Egypt at the Arab Summit in March, envisions restoring PA governance in Gaza, supported by Jordanian training, international political backing, and possibly UN peacekeeping forces in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. It is intended as an alternative to earlier U.S. proposals, including Donald Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” plan.
Egypt’s blueprint also calls for a comprehensive political process to address root causes of the conflict and integrate armed groups into a unified security framework.
Gulf Pushback
Despite lobbying by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have refused funding until Hamas is disarmed and its fighters leave Gaza. This stance aligns with Israeli and U.S. preconditions for ending the war.
An Egyptian security analyst said the plan would deepen Cairo’s influence in Gaza, which it sees as a strategic necessity. However, he acknowledged it is currently “impossible to implement” given Hamas’ ongoing presence and Israel’s declared intent to occupy the Strip.
Egypt’s Public Position
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty confirmed at a two-state solution conference in New York that Cairo is training “hundreds of Palestinians” for future security duties. He framed the program as a step toward enabling the PA to govern both Gaza and Judea and Samaria, paving the way for renewed political negotiations.
Last month, Egypt joined Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and the Arab League in endorsing the New York Declaration, which calls on Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza and hand over its weapons to the PA. Sources say Egypt initially opposed tying disarmament to ceasefire talks, but shifted under Gulf pressure, aligning itself with what some describe as a regional “surrender process.”