Hamas: Any security force in Gaza must be Palestinian

According to the Sedaye Sama News Agency, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior leader of the Hamas Movement and a member of its Political Bureau, stated last night, during remarks on developments related to the Gaza ceasefire process and its repeated violations by the Zionist enemy, that passing a plan to deploy an international force in the Gaza Strip through the UN Security Council, according to the U.S. proposal, would be very difficult.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Abu Marzouk said: “Mediators insist that such an international force must be deployed in Gaza under a UN Security Council resolution, but the United States and Israel have no real desire for this to happen.”

He added: “We cannot accept the deployment of any military force to replace the occupying army in the Gaza Strip.”

The Hamas leader also highlighted Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire, stressing that since the start of the truce in Gaza on October 11, Israel has violated the agreement more than 190 times.

Abu Marzouk further revealed that Hamas has agreed to let a minister from the Palestinian Authority take responsibility for governing Gaza, in order to prioritize the interests of the Palestinian people.

He stated: “There is a Palestinian consensus that any security force in Gaza must be Palestinian and operate under the authority of a committee responsible for governing the Strip.”

He added that Hamas has not yet reached the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, noting that the issue of weapons in Gaza will be discussed in that stage.

Meanwhile, the U.S. news outlet Axios reported a few days ago that the United States, through its Central Command (CENTCOM), is working to finalize a plan to establish an international security force in Gaza, consisting of a new Palestinian police force and personnel from Arab and Islamic countries.

According to the report, the U.S. has launched an initiative in the UN Security Council to issue a resolution forming an international force with broad powers in Gaza, and has circulated a draft resolution among several member states. The draft proposes the creation of such a force in Gaza for at least two years.

The proposed text grants the U.S. and participating nations extensive powers to manage Gaza and ensure its security, while also establishing a body called the “Peace Council” to remain in Gaza until at least the end of 2027.

The draft further stipulates that the international force would be responsible for securing Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt, protecting civilians, and ensuring humanitarian access. Other tasks include destroying and preventing the reconstruction of military infrastructure, disarming Palestinian factions, and training a new Palestinian police force to partner with the international mission.

Separately, Israel’s Channel 13 (KAN) reported that the U.S. is moving forward with plans to form such an international force in Gaza, which has led to tensions between Tel Aviv and Washington, as Israel opposes any Turkish military presence in Gaza, viewing it as an attempt to expand Turkey’s influence there.

The report added that Israel also rejects the creation of a multinational force in Gaza similar to UNIFIL in southern Lebanon. Nevertheless, Tel Aviv believes that former U.S. President Donald Trump was serious about granting Ankara a role in Gaza, and several options are now being considered — including the deployment of unarmed Turkish personnel or their participation in reconstruction efforts.

Observers believe that, since the U.S. draft resolution grants wide-ranging powers to Israel over Gaza and its administration, it is unlikely that Palestinian factions will agree to all its provisions, and further assessments are awaited to determine the final outcome.