Amid the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, private security companies from the United States were hired to oversee the return of Palestinians to the north of the Gaza Strip. The companies will have the task of searching vehicles transporting Palestinians from the south of the strip to the north, looking for the presence of weapons.
According to the newspaper The New York Timesthese companies will help guarantee security in the area known as the “Netzarim Corridor”, which divides Gaza into two parts.
The presence of private US security companies in the region is a novelty, as US officials have not visited the Gaza Strip for years due to security concerns and a policy of no official contact with Hamas.
In the early days of the conflict, the Israeli army ordered the mass evacuation of northern Gaza, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move south. Since then, Israeli troops have been patrolling the “Netzarim Corridor” to prevent Palestinians from returning.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, reiterated that the country will not allow armed fighters to return to northern Gaza, as mediators try to balance Israel’s security demands and Hamas’ conditions for an Israeli withdrawal.
The 42-day ceasefire, which came into force last Sunday (19), was mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
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According to the terms of the agreement, Palestinians returning on foot will not be searched, but vehicles will be inspected by security companies starting next Saturday (25). However, it is still unclear when this mechanism will be implemented.
According to the New York Timesone of the companies hired to work in the region is Safe Reach Solutions, which carries out logistics and planning operations, although details about its activities and how it will be financed have not yet been released.
