US coordinator says Gaza security plans are being stalled — Jerusalem Post
US security coordinator Lieutenant General Sean M. Sallen said during an appearance in Israel that countering Hamas cannot be limited to military operations. According to The Jerusalem Post, his remarks contained veiled criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over delays in steps aimed at strengthening the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, including preparations for a new Palestinian police force.
At an event held by the Reichman University’s International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Sallen did not name Netanyahu directly. He stressed that the fight against terrorism must also encompass ideology, education, and social conditions that contribute to the emergence of terrorist organizations. According to him, Israeli society currently has a very low, and perhaps nonexistent, willingness to take risks on security matters.
Coordination with the Palestinian Authority
The American general also said that Hamas operates not only in Gaza and the West Bank. He mentioned the group’s presence in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as its financiers in Florida and Europe. In Sallen’s view, countering this movement requires a broader approach than using force only in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Sallen noted the importance of coordination between Israeli and Palestinian security forces. He said that such cooperation helped contain escalation during crises in the summer and prevent their spread. Destabilization in the West Bank, in his assessment, could also affect Jordan’s stability.
Training Palestinian police officers
According to Sallen, the United States supports not the creation of a Palestinian army, but the training of police officers to international standards, with due regard for human rights and the rule of law. He noted that such forces can be a partner in countering Hamas and other terrorist threats. The general warned that a security vacuum could be filled by a terrorist organization or become an additional burden on the Israeli army.
Sallen also said that the US-coordinated coalition includes nine other countries. He named Russia and China among other players whose ties with the Palestinian Authority, in his view, do not align with the interests of this coalition. US Central Command and Sallen’s office declined to comment on the publication.
