Representatives from U.S. security company tasked with conducting security inspections on the Netzarim Corridor to prevent the return of terrorists and weapons in vehicles to northern Gaza have arrived in Israel in recent days.
Preparations for the company’s first inspection pilot, scheduled for Sunday, are underway. The company employs about 100 armed personnel, mainly Americans, including some Arabic speakers. Many are veterans of elite units or former CIA operatives.
Gazans returning to northern and central parts of the Strip
(Video: Reuters)
Under the cease-fire agreement in Gaza, the IDF is required to withdraw from the coastal Al-Rashid Road eastward to Salah al-Din Road by Saturday, the seventh day of the agreement, and dismantle its military installations in the area.
The move will allow displaced Palestinians to return northward. The agreement stipulates that inspections will apply only to vehicles heading north, conducted by the private security firm, while pedestrians won’t be inspected.
By the 22nd day of the agreement, the IDF is expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor, vacate Salah al-Din Road and dismantle additional military installations in the area. Vehicle inspections will take place at a designated inspection facility secured by an Egyptian security company.
Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) will oversee the entry of the American team and coordinate their operations in Gaza.
A multinational commission has been established to manage and oversee the safe passage of vehicles, facilitating the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza. It includes Safe Reach Solution (SRS), a strategic planning and logistics firm; UG Solutions, a recognized global provider of integrated security solutions and the Egyptian security and inspection company.
A statement from the consortium stressed its neutrality, commitment to high professional standards and role in supporting the cease-fire agreement while promoting long-term stability in Gaza.
Funding for the consortium and involved companies does not come from Israel but is managed by the deal’s mediators — Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. Qatar is believed to provide the majority of the funding.
As part of the agreement, the IDF will withdraw from populated areas while maintaining control over a 700-meter buffer zone along the border with Gaza, within Gazan territory.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
The deployment along the Philadelphi Corridor will be adjusted in the deal’s first phase, with withdrawal from that area expected to begin on the 42nd day. By the 50th day — assuming hostilities do not resume — the IDF is scheduled to complete its withdrawal from the route.