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Palestinian Civil Police Force

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This article is about the police services of the Palestinian National Authority. For the police service of Mandatory Palestine, see Palestine Police Force.
Palestinian Civil Police
الشرطة المدنية الفلسطينية
AbbreviationPCP
Agency overview
FormedMay 4, 1994
Jurisdictional structure
National agencyState of Palestine
Operations jurisdictionPalestinian Authority, State of Palestine
Governing bodyPalestinian Security Services
General nature
Operational structure
Police Officers9,213
Elected officer responsible
Agency executives
  • Major General Allam Saqa, Chief of Police (West Bank)
  • Major General Mahmoud Salah, Chief of Police (Gaza Strip)
Parent agencyPalestinian Security Services
Facilities
Stations68
Website
https://www.palpolice.ps/en
Two Palestinian Police Officers in Bethlehem

The Palestinian Civil Police Force (PCP; Arabic: الشرطة المدنية الفلسطينية, al-Shurtah al-Madaniyah al-Filistiniyah) is the Civil Police organization tasked with traditional law enforcement duties in the autonomous territory governed by the Palestinian National Authority. The Civil Police is a part of the Palestinian Security Services. Since the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip the control of the Civil Police in Gaza was placed under the jurisdiction of Hamas.[1][2]

Traffic Unit in the West Bank city of Salfit

History

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Patrol Unit in Bethlehem

The Civil Police was formally established with the May 1994 signing of the Gaza–Jericho Agreement, a chapter in the Oslo Accords process, under the umbrella of the General Security Service. Founded with over 10,000 officers, it was the largest substituent of the Palestinian National Security Forces.[3] The agreement called for the civil police maintaining public order from 25 stations throughout the Palestinian-administered parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.[4]

Long-time Police head Ghazi al-Jabali was criticised for corruption and curbing press and civil rights freedoms. In 2004, he was kidnapped by the Jenin Martyrs Brigades, part of the Popular Resistance Committees, and only released after Palestinian President Yasser Arafat agreed to fire him. Al-Jabali was replaced with Arafat's cousin, Musa Arafat, a move which did little to restore public confidence in Police.[3][5]

According to the International Crisis Group, Palestinian police and security forces succeeded in effectively "preventing, prosecuting and reducing crime" in the late 1990s.

During the course of the Second Intifada and its armed conflict, Palestinian police were unable to patrol armed or in uniform, lest they be engaged by Israeli security forces as combatants. As the armed conflict petered out after three years, Palestinian police forces returned to regular operations in 2003–2004.[6]

During the Israel–Hamas war, members of the civilian police force in the Gaza Strip were systemically targeted and killed by the Israeli military.[7] The attacks impacted the ability for humanitarian aid to be delivered, as well as the rise of armed gangs which would frequently raid humanitarian aid trucks in absence of security forces.[8]

Development

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In order to aid the Palestinian government in "establishing sustainable and effective civil policing arrangements", the European Union Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support, EUPOLCOPPS, was established beginning 2006.

The Palestinian Civil Police development includes creation of a Jericho Police Training School,[9] and strengthening of investigative sectors like Crime Investigation Department, Anti-Narcotics General Administration, and Investigation Section.[10]

The EUCOPPS mission has facilitated the training of Civil Police personnel as well as the donation of equipment including vehicles from European donor-states.[11][12]

A Palestinian Local Aid Coordination Secretariat strategic report on the Civil Police lists among the force's strengths its leadership's youth and academic credentials, high loyalty and commitment to regulations and motivation, while weaknesses included poorly or undefined legal frameworks and logistical shortages, especially communications equipment and transportation.[13]

Since 2007, the Palestinian Civil Police and the Israel Police have increased cooperation as confidence-building measures and a part of Palestinian institution-building. Since their jurisdictions are intertwined, cooperative tactics include having Israel police issue traffic citations to Palestinian drivers and repatriating the proceeds to the Palestinian Civil Police.[14]

Directors

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  • Ghazi al-Jabali (1994-2002)
  • Alaa Hosni (2002-2004)
  • Saeb Al-Ajez (2004-2007)
  • Kamal al-Sheikh (2007-2008)
  • Hazem Atallah (March 25, 2008-October 2, 2021)
  • Youssef Al-Helou (October 2, 2021-September 1, 2024)
  • Allam Saqa (September 1, 2024-Present)

Ranks

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Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Palestinian Civil Police Force No equivalent
Brigadier General
عميد
ʿamīd 		Colonel
عقيد
ʿaqīd 		Lieutenant Colonel
مقدم
muqaddam 		Major
رائد
rāʾid 		Captain
نقيب
naqīb 		1st Lieutenant
ملازم أول
mulāzim ʾawwil 		Lieutenant
ملازم
mulāzim

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Police of the State of Palestine.

References

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  1. ^ "Civil Police – PA/Hamas". ECFR. 21 March 2018.
  2. ^ Berger, Miriam; Pietsch, Bryan (23 March 2024). "What to know about Gaza's police force, which Israel is targeting". Washington Post.
  3. ^ a b Civil Police (al-Shurta Madaniyya) GlobalSecurity.org
  4. ^ Main Points of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  5. ^ Arafat appoints West Bank and Gaza Strip police chief - Al-Jazeera.
  6. ^ Who Governs the West Bank? Palestinian Administration under Israeli Occupation Archived 2011-09-04 at the Wayback Machine International Crisis Group
  7. ^ "Israeli strikes in Gaza kill five Palestinian police officers". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  8. ^ Morris, Loveday. "Gaza aid delivery hampered by Israeli attacks on police, rising chaos". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  9. ^ افتتاح دورة متقدمة في الحاسوب في كلية الشرطة في أريحا
  10. ^ Police Advisory Section European Union Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support
  11. ^ Belgium donates 25 cars to Palestinian Civil Police
  12. ^ "Training Prosecutors and Palestinian Civil Police Officers in Germany through Eupol Copps". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  13. ^ Palestinian Civil Police Strategic Framework Local Aid Coordination Secretariat
  14. ^ Growing ties between Israeli, PA police forces. The Jerusalem Post, 10 September 2009
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