UAE donates $100 million to Board of Peace for Gaza police force

The Gaza police force would be responsible for confiscating weapons held by Hamas.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The United Arab Emirates is committing $100 million to the Board of Peace to help establish and train a new Palestinian police force in the Gaza Strip, according to a US official and a Middle Eastern diplomat who spoke to The Times of Israel.

The UAE contribution is the largest single pledge made to the Board of Peace following the combined $17 billion in commitments announced at a conference hosted by President Trump in February.

A central objective of the Board of Peace initiative is the creation of a new Gaza security force intended to prevent either Hamas or the IDF from maintaining a security presence in the territory.

The force would operate under the authority of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a council made up of Palestinian technocrats.

The NCAG has not yet entered Gaza and is currently engaged in efforts to persuade Hamas to surrender its weapons as part of the ceasefire agreement that ended the war last October.

Under the proposal, the new police force would be responsible for confiscating weapons held by Hamas.

In February, the NCAG began recruiting personnel for the force. Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s envoy for Gaza, said several thousand Palestinians submitted applications shortly after recruitment opened.

The plan calls for building a force of approximately 27,000 officers, with training scheduled to take place in Egypt and Jordan.

An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel in March that Palestinians who previously worked as Hamas civil servants have been permitted to apply to the force, but applicants will be subject to Shin Bet screening before approval.

The disarmament of Hamas remains a key obstacle in negotiations over the second phase of the 20-Point plan.

Earlier this week, the Board of Peace indicated that Israel would not be obligated to adhere to the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire terms if Hamas refuses to disarm. According to a document obtained by The Times of Israel, continued refusal by Hamas to surrender weapons would render the truce void and allow Israel to resume military operations.

Reports cited in the discussions stated that Hamas has re-established control over roughly half of Gaza, while the IDF is preparing military action aimed at disarming the group.