The confidence of the U.S. administration in the Palestinian Authority's security forces and their effective activities in preventing numerous attacks against Israel leads to discussions about reactivating those forces and their security agencies to play a role in the Gaza Strip post-war. This development follows reports by Western and Israeli media outlets.
The U.S. administration believes that these forces operating in the West Bank, which receive training and guidance from the United States, perform effective counter-terrorism activities and prevent many attacks against Israel. Americans believe that such a situation could be achieved in Gaza in the future.
This issue has topped the agenda of senior U.S. officials during their recent successive visits to the West Bank to meet with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is 88 years old. Speculation has arisen about introducing changes to his unpopular authority to qualify it for managing Gaza after the war ends.
Officials in President Joe Biden's administration say the Palestinian Authority’s security forces in the West Bank are "effective" and contribute to preventing operations against Israel, a fact acknowledged by Israeli officials who also point out the loss of control by the Authority’s security apparatus over parts of the West Bank.
Hussein al-Sheikh, the Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, expressed alignment with these efforts, stating, "The Palestinian Authority is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and will be ready to manage Gaza after the war."
In reference to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Sheikh said, "It is not right for some of us to believe that their approach and method in managing the conflict with Israel were optimal and superior."
Sheikh and Abbas met with Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, in Ramallah last Friday. Sullivan became the latest senior American official to urge for rapid change.
Sheikh told Reuters in an interview published last Sunday, "The Palestinians conveyed to Sullivan the need for a new international effort to persuade Israel to agree to a comprehensive solution that includes the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem," considering his function "to work with Israel to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians."
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated, "Sullivan and Abbas discussed steps needed for the Palestinian Authority to become 'more credible, authentic, and accountable.'"
Palestinian sources and a senior regional official familiar with the talks indicated that Washington's behind-the-scenes proposals include Abbas relinquishing some of his grip on the Authority after 18 years at the helm.
The proposals suggest that Abbas could appoint a deputy, transfer more executive powers to the Prime Minister, and introduce new figures into the leadership.
Senior U.S. officials have proposed to Abbas and his men to reactivate soldiers and police officers who served in the Palestinian security forces in Gaza before Hamas took control in 2007 and reinstate them to active duty.
Before 2007, there were 18,000 members of the Palestinian security forces in active service in Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority has continued to pay their salaries after 2007 despite them not working.
An informed source mentioned that the Palestinian Authority had started contacting some of these individuals who are of appropriate age to verify if they were interested in returning to service in the Palestinian security forces.
Israeli officials acknowledge that the Palestinian Authority's security forces contribute to preventing attacks in the West Bank, but they also affirm that they have lost control over parts of the West Bank.
Since returning to power in 2009, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has worked to weaken the Palestinian Authority and led a policy of expanding the divide between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Following operation "Al-Aqsa Flood", Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed Tel Aviv's rejection of the Authority's return to the sector, considering it a threat to Israel's security, and even went so far as to suggest that Israel is preparing for the possibility of fighting against the Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank.
In an interview with Reuters at his Ramallah office, Abbas stated his readiness to introduce changes to the Palestinian Authority with new leadership and to hold elections that have been suspended, as well as the Authority's removal from managing Gaza, provided that there is a binding international agreement that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. This is a stance the extremist right-wing coalition refuses to support.
When asked about the American proposals last week, Abbas said the problem is not in changing Palestinian politicians and forming a new government, but in the policies of the Israeli government.
