The European Union is considering expanding its civilian mission and training for 3,000 Palestinian police officers in Gaza as part of a 20-point plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, although prospects for implementation remain uncertain.
EU foreign ministers are set to discuss next week a proposal for the bloc to take the lead in training these officers, with the aim of later deploying them in Gaza, according to a document obtained by Reuters.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) prepared options for EU contributions to implementing Trump’s Gaza plan, noting that while Israel and Hamas agreed in October on the first phase, the rollout of other elements remains highly uncertain.
The EU’s police support mission could “take the lead in training the Palestinian police force in Gaza by providing direct training and support to approximately 3,000 Palestinian police officers (on the PA payroll) from Gaza, with the goal of training the entire 13,000-strong Palestinian police force.”
The document also raises the idea of expanding the EU’s civilian border monitoring mission in Rafah to other crossing points.
However, it is still unclear whether the EU will move forward with these initiatives.
Meanwhile, Russia submitted a draft UN resolution on Gaza, challenging the U.S. effort to pass a text supporting Trump’s plan.
