US Security Contractors to Take Control of Netzarim Corridor in Gaza as Israeli Forces Withdraw: Reports

Washington (Quds News Network)- Private American security companies are set to take over the Netzarim corridor in Gaza in the coming days as Israeli forces withdraw, according to several media reports.
The two companies involved in this operation are Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), which drafted the plan for the checkpoint, and UG Solutions, a private security company that employs armed security guards who have served in the US military and others who hold foreign nationalities, according to Axios.
On its website, Safe Reach Solutions says it provides “planning, logistics, and strategic expertise to organizations operating in the world’s most complex environments.”
The New York Times and Axios both reported on Thursday that the contractors are being sent to Gaza to screen Palestinians travelling from southern Gaza to the north to return to their homes.
The private security contractors would likely be deployed to the Netzarim corridor, a narrow strip that cuts through central Gaza and was created in recent months by Israeli forces to monitor Palestinians and separate the south from the north. It stretches from the Israeli boundary with Gaza City to the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces are to withdraw from the Netzarim corridor, and this is where the private security contractors would fill the gap.
The armed guards will check vehicles carrying Palestinians from south to north for weapons.
Axios cited Israeli officials, while the New York Times cited four officials but didn’t say which country they were from.
Axios reported that the private security companies would serve in Gaza for the duration of the first phase of the ceasefire, which is set to last six weeks, after which Israel is supposed to fully withdraw from Gaza.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed the reports to CNN. In a Friday report, CNN said armed personnel from an American security contractor will man the checkpoint and will be responsible for inspecting vehicles entering northern Gaza.
Palestinians returning to northern Gaza on foot will not be inspected, according to the terms of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.