JAFFA, Israel – Israel and Egypt have embarked on serious discussions about the deployment of an Arab force in the Gaza Strip consisting largely of Egyptian and some Saudi troops, senior defense officials told WND.

The officials said Defense Minister Ehud Barak last week discussed the Israeli proposal for Arab forces in Gaza during a meeting he held in Alexandria with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The officials said Barak and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert eventually would like to expand the deployment of Arab and international forces to the West Bank as well, with those troops consisting largely of Jordanian forces, according to an Israeli plan.

Ahmed Yousef, Hamas' top political adviser in the Gaza Strip, confirmed to WND he is aware of the recent talks of sending an Arab force into Gaza. He said his terrorist organization strongly opposes the plan.

"Hamas' position is resisting this idea strongly because there is no need for such things. We can handle security and don't need to bring forces and internationalized solutions," said Yousef, speaking on his cell phone from Gaza.

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"We don't understand the significance of bringing in Arab forces. What are they going to do? Create a buffer zone to protect Israel? Our experience with international forces is that they don't work," Yousef said.

In perhaps a more direct response, Abu Abdullah, a senior leader of Hamas' so-called military wing, told WND his group would target any international forces in Gaza.

That sentiment was also echoed by Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and senior leader of the Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees terror group, who accused Egypt of serving "the Zionist conspiracy to take over our land."

"Our resistance will reach any Arab forces who think they have the right to deploy in Gaza," Abdel-Al told WND.

Israel in June agreed to a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A largely unreported final stage of the truce called for international troops eventually to deploy in Gaza and also in the West Bank.

The cease-fire outlined several stages: First, Hamas would halt attacks against Israel in exchange for an end to Israeli anti-terror military operations in Gaza; then a deal would be reached to free kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit; a third stage called for the spreading of the cease-fire from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank; finally international troops would be deployed.

Israeli security officials told WND said the issue of Arab forces in Gaza is being treated "very seriously" in more talks with Egypt in the coming days. But the officials conceded Hamas' objections could halt the plan unless Israel carried out a massive ground operation targeting Hamas in Gaza and clearing the way for the deployment of international troops.

The Israeli officials said there have been no direct discussions with Saudi Arabia about that country deploying troops in Gaza, but that it was "understood" through Egyptian contacts the Saudis were open to contributing forces.

A top defense official knowledgeable of the plan said many defense officials oppose international troops being deployed along Israel's borders, arguing such forces will not protect Israel and will only stand in the way of any needed Israeli military operations.

He pointed to the deployment of international troops in Lebanon following Israel's war there against the Hezbollah terror group in 2006. Hezbollah reportedly has rearmed and regrouped in areas in which international forces are deployed, and those international forces are expected to hinder any possible future Israeli operation against Hezbollah.

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