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Thursday, December 19, 2024
Military officials: IDF supports a stronger PA so it can combat West Bank terrorism
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Despite rhetoric from some Israeli ministers, the Israel Defense Forces says it supports strengthening the Palestinian Authority for it to combat terrorism in the West Bank, especially in its north, military officials say.
In recent days, the PA has been carrying out an operation against terror groups in Jenin, including killing and detaining members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, seizing weapons, and neutralizing explosive devices. The crackdown came after terror operatives stole two PA vehicles and paraded them through Jenin last week.
The PA has a relatively strong presence in the southern and central West Bank, where it can maintain order. But in the northern part of the territory, especially the refugee camps in the Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarem area, it has struggled to exercise authority against the terror groups there.
Military officials say the PA showed some courage this week when its members entered Jenin, including the refugee camp there. The IDF hopes that such operations will continue, and it will do what it can to help the PA carry them out successfully, as this also benefits the army.
In the past, the PA would not enter the northern West Bank refugee camps after the IDF had recently operated there. It reached the point where for months at a time the military would not carry out operations inside the refugee camps, in an attempt to allow the PA to carry out actions there, with little success. Now, the IDF and PA have been operating in the refugee camps within a few days of each other.
The IDF’s efforts to strengthen the PA are not a rogue move, but a directive from the Israeli government. This is despite statements from government ministers in support of weakening the PA.
The military also supports increasing the number of permits for West Bank Palestinians to work in settlements and inside Israel, after they were nearly all revoked following the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught. Currently, some 10,000 West Bank Palestinians have work permits, and the vast majority of them are working inside settlements or industrial zones in the West Bank.
The military sees the work permits as a significant method of easing the pressure on the economically depressed territory.
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