Overview

The Office of the Security Coordinator (OSC) is a U.S. government-led, Jerusalem-based multi-country security-assistance mission tasked with building the capacity of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) and facilitating security coordination between the PASF and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Established in 2005 and led by an American three-star general, currently Lieutenant General (LTG) Michael Fenzel, OSC plays a key role in West Bank stability. OSC trains Palestinian police and special units, provides non-lethal assistance and strategic advice to the PASF, and coordinates with other organizations like EUPOL COPPS and the Office of the Quartet. With an expanded mandate, OSC is the actor best placed to train Palestinian security forces for a post-Hamas administration in Gaza. 

In January 2025, U.S. funding to OSC was frozen by the Trump administration’s 90-day pause on foreign assistance. While the U.S. decided to restore OSC funding in March 2025, as of late April the administration is now reportedly considering shutting down OSC as part of a broader State Department reorganization. 

The U.S. plays an irreplaceable role in leading the mission, vetting recruits, managing logistics, and more. Implementation of the OSC mission is made possible by the deep trust between the Israeli and U.S. militaries and governments, and the high-level engagement enabled by the stature of a three-star American general. OSC coalition nations are essential to carrying out the OSC mission, and the U.S. should continue to encourage their increased participation and contributions. Without American leadership, however, OSC access and capabilities will be severely limited. This will negatively impact Israeli and Palestinian security and the prospect of a functional security structure for post-war Gaza.

Background

OSC (known until recently as the Office of the United States Security Coordinator, or USSC) was established in March 2005 by the Bush administration to support Israeli and Palestinian security forces in implementing commitments they agreed to in the February 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh agreement. The OSC was designed to help professionalize the PASF by increasing its capacity to enforce law and order, combat extremists, and coordinate with Israeli security forces.  

From 2005 to 2007, OSC had no budget, but by 2010, it had trained five PASF battalions in Jordan. After 2012, OSC shifted from large-scale training to specialized training, provision of non-lethal assistance, advising, and other security reform issues. As funding levels and U.S. priorities have shifted, OSC activities have evolved, but the program has been consistently sustained for the past 20 years—including during the first Trump administration, when effectively all other U.S. assistance to the Palestinians was frozen.  

OSC Projects and Responsibilities

Training

OSC currently conducts two training programs for PASF personnel at sites in Jordan and the West Bank city of Jericho. The Enhanced Police Training (EPT) program provides seven-week training on complex operations to 500 Palestinian Civil Police (PCP) officers across 10 cohorts. Two cohorts have completed training since the EPT began in November 2024. 

Since 2022, OSC has trained Palestinian SWAT teams in 10-week courses preparing them for complex arrest and other kinetic missions. The program goal is to develop 14 SWAT teams, 10 of them run by the PCP and four others run by the National Security Forces (NSF), the PA’s paramilitary security force. SWAT teams trained under this program have already begun operations in the West Bank.

Facilitating IDF-PASF Cooperation

OSC works quietly to coordinate and deconflict IDF and PASF operations and advises both to ensure security cooperation continues smoothly. This is critical to combat militant groups, as exemplified by the recent PASF operation in the Jenin refugee camp and elsewhere.

PASF also plays a key role in protecting Israelis and others in Area A. For example, Israelis and tourists attacked while trying to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus have repeatedly been rescued by PCP officers and handed over to the IDF, avoiding the need for the IDF to operate in Area A.

Monitoring

OSC monitors and reports to the State Department on the security situation in the West Bank, including IDF and PASF operations as well as Palestinian militant violence and settler violence.

Funding Stream

OSC programming is funded through the State Department’s International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement program; its personnel are paid by the Department of Defense. Historically, OSC funding has varied. In 2024, the State Department requested $33 million for the program.

Coalition Members and Structure

There are currently 12 nations participating in the OSC mission: the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, and Germany. A U.S. three-star general leads OSC and the U.S. contributes the largest number of personnel. Canada and the UK also send sizable delegations, each headed by the equivalent of a U.S. one-star general. OSC headquarters are in Jerusalem with a field office in Ramallah. 

Potential Future Role for OSC: Training PASF and Future Gaza Security Force

Given the trust OSC has built with IDF and PASF leadership, with requisite authorities, funding, and personnel, OSC is well placed to expand its training programs to train a new post-war, post-Hamas PA security force for Gaza. These programs could include: 

• PASF auxiliary police: OSC could facilitate a six-week course in Jordan or Egypt to train 3,000 PASF auxiliary police to operate in Gaza as part of an international security force.
• PASF Stabilization Force: A long-term program could recruit, vet, and train 10,000 new PCP and NSF personnel to take over post-war security administration in Gaza after a period of time, focused on stabilization, reconstruction, and cementing PA governance.