Neither Egypt nor the European Union will train police officers in Gaza who are affiliated with Hamas, an Egyptian and a European diplomat told The Times of Israel on Thursday, 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.

On Thursday, the Egyptian and European diplomats reiterated that Cairo and Brussels will play no role in training any personnel tied to Hamas. The European diplomat noted that any........

© The Times of Israel