US firm with ex-CIA officers to be deployed in central Gaza: Haberturk

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 08:35

A couple of days ago, "Israel’s" Channel 12 suggested that Hamas remains the sole authority capable of governing the Gaza Strip, even after 15 months of war.

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Members of Palestinian security forces stand guard in Gaza City on January 22, 2025, on the fourth day of a ceasefire deal in the war between "Israel" and Hamas in the Palestinian territory. (AFP)

A US-based security firm is set to be deployed north of the so-called Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza to oversee checkpoint operations, the Turkish broadcaster Haberturk reported on Thursday, citing sources.

The company, tasked with security and control responsibilities, reportedly comprises approximately 100 armed personnel, including former members of elite military units and former CIA officers, according to the report.

The ceasefire agreement in Gaza and a prisoner exchange between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation came into effect on Sunday, January 19, 2025. However, the occupation breached the agreement shortly thereafter, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

As part of the deal, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States — serving as guarantors of the agreement — will establish a coordination center in Cairo.

In the first prisoner exchange after the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas released three Israeli female captives, and in return, "Israel" freed 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on January 20.

The second prisoner exchange round taking place on the seventh day of the agreement will see the release of four Israeli female captives in exchange for 120 Palestinian detainees, a senior source within the Resistance leadership told Al Mayadeen on Monday.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials have repeatedly insisted on the governance of Gaza after the war being 100% Palestinian. On October 22 last year, touching on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the region, Hamdan expressed Hamas' stance, affirming that only the Palestinian people "have the right to make all their choices freely and independently and set the details and agendas for the post-war phase, which will be solely Palestinian and not dictated by Israeli measures or US desires."

Hamas only authority capable of governing Gaza: Israeli media

A couple of days ago, "Israel’s" Channel 12 suggested that Hamas remains the sole authority capable of governing the Gaza Strip, even after 15 months of war.

Touching on the "day after", the channel acknowledged "Israel's" failure to achieve its war objectives, which included preventing Hamas from governing or returning to power in Gaza.

Yet, "we saw yesterday that it [Hamas] still possesses this capability," referencing the scenes of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades’ emergence among the people while handing over the three Israeli female detainees to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the ceasefire-prisoner exchange deal with "Israel".

Channel 12 emphasized that no other force in Gaza has a comparable capability, which enables Hamas to reassert itself and restrict the operational capacity of the Israeli military.

In a related context, the channel estimated that "Israel" is unlikely to resume fighting in Gaza, pointing out that the Palestinian Resistance has the capability to fight indefinitely and is able to continue "recruiting" individuals.

Similarly, Amos Harel, the military affairs analyst for "Israel’s" Haaretz newspaper, commented on the scenes of hundreds of al-Qassam Brigade members just a few kilometers from where Israeli occupation forces had been stationed, saying they "demonstrated its military strength and signs of civil governance."