File Photo: Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) chief Diaa Rashwan. Photo courtesy of SIS.
“I think there will be no objection to Egypt's presence within the force," Rashwan said in an interview with Saudi Al-Arabiya TV channel on Thursday.
The SIS head explained that the ISF will be tasked with separating Israeli forces, overseeing their gradual withdrawal until a complete pullout from the Gaza Strip is achieved, and monitoring the buffer zone between Israeli forces and the territory. The force, Rashwan added, would be international and based on a UN resolution mandating its establishment.
Moreover, Rashwan noted that a technocrats committee set to run the Gaza Strip as part of the second ceasefire phase will assume full administrative, executive, local service, and security-related responsibilities.
The committee, he added, is stipulated in the Sharm El-Sheikh Agreement and was also proposed under a plan put forward by US President Donald Trump. It will be composed of independent technocrats who are not affiliated with, or aligned to, any Palestinian faction, whether in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, or elsewhere.
Rashwan explained that while the committee’s mandate includes security-related roles, the concept of security in Gaza differs from that in other parts of the world.
He noted that security is normally a police responsibility, but around 58 percent of Gaza’s territory remains under Israeli occupation, placing those areas outside the committee’s jurisdiction. He added that responsibility for those areas falls to the Peace Committee, headed by Trump and the ISF.
'Puzzled by Israeli talk'
When asked about the Israeli demand for Hamas disarmament and whether it would remain in Gaza, Rashwan said he was puzzled by Israeli talk about the presence or absence of Hamas. He said he did not know whether Israel was referring to Hamas's armed power or its political movement.
He stressed that it is impossible to eliminate a movement with a political character, particularly one that resists an occupation, as long as this occupation persists.
On the political level, Rashwan said Hamas is present in Cairo and should continue to be so, just as it is present in Qatar and Turkey, as no negotiations can take place without the presence of the other party.
He also referred to the recent direct contacts between Hamas and the US administration during ceasefire negotiations, making the movement’s inclusion in the equation essential until the peace and ceasefire agreement is fully implemented.
Rashwan stated that US President Donald Trump’s plan did not specify the party responsible for carrying out the disarmament. As a result, who would disarm Hamas remains unclear.
However, he stressed that, “to be honest and precise, Hamas will not be disarmed by force”.
He explained this on two grounds. First, Israel, which possesses overwhelming military power and has waged a devastating war for more than two years, failed to achieve this objective, and any renewed attempt would amount to breaching Trump’s agreement and returning to war, which is unacceptable.
Second, he added, the ISF would not engage in military confrontation, as its mandate is limited to peacekeeping only.
Gaza aid and reconstruction
Rashwan noted that the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza has increased in recent weeks, but stressed that it remains insufficient. He emphasized that the delivery of aid must go hand in hand with the launch of a serious reconstruction process.
Moreover, he called on the international community to push for serious discussions on convening an international conference for Gaza’s reconstruction as soon as the second phase begins. He also referred to the proposed Arab–Islamic plan for full reconstruction of the strip, which he described as including the entirety of the strip, not just the areas under Israeli control.
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