Biden Admin. Tells Israel to Approve Weapons Transfer to Palestinians in Samaria
The Biden administration asked the Israeli government to approve the transfer of weapons to the Palestinian Authority to carry out operations in Samaria.
Citing US, Israeli, and Palestinian sources, Axios reported on Sunday that the weapons would purportedly be used in a wide-ranging operation being carried out by the Palestinian Authority in Jenin, Samaria, where the PA has been fighting armed terrorists from Iranan-funded Hamas and the Jenin Brigade affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
“Palestinian and US officials said Palestinian leadership launched the operation out of fear that Islamist militants — emboldened after armed rebels took control of Syria — could try to overthrow the Palestinian Authority,” Axios reported.
Local jihadist terrorist groups took over Jenin last year and the Palestinian Authority has reportedly been losing control of the city for the past several months, even refraining from entering for fear of confrontations with the terrorist groups. Last week, Palestinian security forces tried unsuccessfully to arrest several PIJ and Hamas terrorists who stole PA security forces’ vehicles and used them for an armed parade through the city streets. A day later, the Islamic terrorists detonated a car bomb near a police station in Jenin, wounding three Palestinian policemen and two civilians.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas ordered armed troops into the city, killing one PIJ terrorist and wounding at least three civilians. Several members of PA security were wounded in the confrontations.
Abbas’ aides briefed the Biden administration and President-elect Trump’s advisers in advance of the operation. US security coordinator Gen. Mike Fenzel met with the Palestinian security chiefs ahead of the operation to go over their planning, the Palestinian official said. The PA gave Fenzel a list of equipment and ammunition PA security forces needed. Reports claim the Islamist terrorists are better equipped than the PA security forces.
According to security agreements, Israel must approve any military assistance to the PA.
Fenzel, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, and other Biden administration officials asked the Israelis to approve the urgent delivery of ammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, radios, night vision equipment, explosive disposal suits, and armored cars, Palestinian, U.S. and Israeli officials said. Israel approved the shipment when it was first requested last year but the Israeli government froze it after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
The Biden administration also asked the Israeli government to release some of the Palestinian Authority’s tax revenues it has frozen so the PA can pay the salaries of Palestinian security forces.
It should be noted that in April 2023, the Biden administration funded the training of a force of nearly 5,000 PA security forces in counterterrorism and commando tactics. The training took place in Jordan and the trainees returned to Israel with weapons and tactical gear. The new program proposed by the Biden administration was distinctly unlike the original plan in that it explicitly provides “guns and bullets” and the training to use them, creating a special force of armed PA security forces.
When reporting on the program, Caroline Glick noted that during the course of the Palestinian terror war 20 years ago, U.S.-trained P.A. forces murdered 26 IDF soldiers in 2002 alone.
“Fatah terrorists carried out most of the murderous terror attacks in 2021-2022. Several of those attacks were carried out by P.A. security officers,” Glick wrote.
It is interesting to note that the program in 2023 was overseen by Lieutenant General Fenzel who is currently expecting Israel to approve the transfer of even more weapons to the PA.
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