The European Union is preparing to significantly expand its police and border missions in Gaza as part of efforts to support the US peace plan, according to information obtained by the dpa agency.
It is expected that EU foreign ministers will reach an agreement on proposals for a stronger role of the EU and, if necessary, adjust the mandates of existing missions in Brussels on Thursday, dpa learns.
Under the plan, the EU could use its West Bank police mission, Eupol Copps, to take the lead in building a new police force for the war-torn Gaza Strip and train around 3,000 Palestinian security officers in the medium term. In the long term, the goal is to train all 13,000 required staff members.
In the short term, Eupol Copps would help rebuild Gaza’s judicial and security structures and organize training programs for Palestinian police instructors at the German-co-financed Jericho police academy.
Until now, Gaza’s civilian police have operated under the control of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has waged a two-year war with Israel that has left much of the territory in ruins.
The new force is expected to work closely with the planned international stabilization mission, which was mandated by a UN Security Council resolution earlier this week.
EU ministers in Brussels are also discussing expanding the bloc’s border surveillance mission in Gaza. According to dpa information, in the future the EU could assist in the processing of goods, not only at the Rafah crossing, but also at places like Kerem Shalom. As an initial step, the mission is expected to continue supporting the movement of people through Rafah once the crossing reopens. France has been one of the strongest proponents of broader mandates. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told a recent EU meeting in Luxembourg that it was important to ensure that humanitarian aid could reach Gaza safely.
The expanded role of Eupol Copps could also support the planned disarmament process of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he said.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
