Tel Aviv [Israel], January 28: Hamas is aiming for 10,000 of its own security personnel to be absorbed into a future Palestinian administration for the Gaza Strip, a Hamas official involved in the matter told DPA on Tuesday.
The official said agreement on this had been reached with US representatives and that all candidates would be subjected to a security check.
There has been no independent confirmation of the claim.
Israel has rejected any involvement of Hamas in a future Gaza administration.
The Hamas official said that the organization's own police had the best understanding of conditions in the region.
Their inclusion would also help prevent dismissed police officers from joining radical groups.
He pointed to the situation in Iraq following the toppling of Saddam Hussein as dictator. US administrator Paul Bremer dissolved the Iraqi military and security services by decree in May 2003, effectively firing hundreds of thousands of trained and armed men.
The move is thought to have boosted armed opposition to the US-led coalition running the country at the time.
Former Iraqi officers loyal to Saddam later formed the military backbone and leadership of the Islamic State.
Source: Qatar Tribune
