US Urges Israel to Greenlight Emergency Military Aid for Palestinian Authority Forces

The Biden administration requested Israel’s approval for U.S. military support to Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces as they carry out a large-scale operation in the West Bank, according to Palestinian, U.S., and Israeli officials speaking to Axios.

U.S. security coordinator Gen. Mike Fenzel and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew reportedly asked the Israelis to approve the “urgent delivery of ammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, radios, night vision equipment, explosive disposal suits and armored cars,” to the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.

The Palestinian Authority has its own militia/police force that maintains security in the areas under its control. It is these forces who are in need of re-supply.

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The Palestinian Authority was founded as part of the 1993 Oslo Accords, in which Israel agreed to the establishment of an autonomous Palestinian entity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, Israeli settlements remain under Israeli control. All of Gaza became part of the PA after Israel withdrew from it, dismantling all of its settlements there, in 2005.

A year after Israel withdrew from Gaza the Hamas terrorist organization won a majority in the PA local elections and took control of the Gaza Strip in what was in effect a coup. Hamas gained control of the pa security forces there and turned Gaza into a terrorist haven. This led to the October 7 massacre in 2003.

Hamas still has strong support throughout the West Bank and continues to operate freely in the areas under Palestinian Authority control.

All of this explains why Israel would oppose any move to rearm the PA security forces. It believes that these forces are riddled with Hamas supporters and operative and that military supplies could end up being diverted to Hamas. It is also concerned with the possibility of another Hamas coup like the one in Gaza taking place in the West Bank, leaving Hamas in control of all of the PA security forces and their supplies.

However, the Palestinian Authority did recently act against both Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists in the West Bank. It made a number of arrests in Jenin, which has turned into a center of operations for Hamas. PA security forces are also reportedly engaged in an operation against terrorist groups in the area.

But the Israeli government argues this actions was “too little too late” and just carried out to put on a show for American officials.

The problem for the Biden Administration is that President-elect Donald Trump will assume office in a little over a month. So, the Israeli government will likely not approve any such arms transfer to the Palestinian Authority if Trump does not also ask it to do so.