PA Forces Growing Closer to Fatah-Armed Groups After Cutting Ties With Israel

JERUSALEM, Israel – The Palestinian Authority’s security forces are working more closely with the ruling Fatah political party’s armed militant groups after cutting security ties with Israel following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to unilaterally annex large parts of the West Bank.

Israeli media reported Thursday that the PA is cooperating with Fatah-affiliated groups like Tanzim and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to maintain law and order in Palestinian areas of the West Bank that are under Israeli control.

The Jerusalem Post reports that these militant groups are helping Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas enforce the state of emergency to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and manage violent disputes between residents of Palestinian towns and villages.

This cooperation between PA security forces and the Fatah armed militant groups is unusual, Palestinian officials said.

The PA historically has clashed with Fatah armed groups, specifically with Tanzim.

Palestinian officials told Ynet that this new cooperation could embolden the militant group’s members to attack Israeli security forces as tensions rise over Netanyahu’s annexation plans.

“The Tanzim and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades played a big role during the Second Intifada,” a senior fatah leader told the Post. “In recent weeks, the two groups seem to have resumed their activities after receiving a green light from the Palestinian leadership. Until recently, the Palestinian security forces showed zero tolerance toward the public appearances of armed militias. Now we see that matters on the ground have changed, and these security forces are working closely with Fatah armed groups.”

Ramallah-based political analyst Abdel Karim Jubran said the armed militants also pose a threat to the Palestinian Authority itself.

“The increased activities of the Tanzim and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades will undermine the Palestinian Authority and its security forces,” he said. “The biggest fear is that Hamas and Islamic Jihad would exploit the anarchy to step up their political and security activities in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority is a bitter rival of Hamas, the terror group ruling the West Bank.

Ynet reports that Israeli security forces are aware of the developing situation but have yet to intervene. 

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