The Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) research institute released a new comprehensive report on July 13, titled “Terrorists in Uniform,” showing that for years the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) have been active in terrorism and murder, backed by support and praise by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority (P.A.).
The report’s central conclusion suggests that since the PASF/P.A. are so deeply involved in terrorism, empowering them to rule Gaza after Israel eliminates Hamas, “is both dangerous and inconceivable to anyone who seeks peace.”
The report was released just four days after two P.A. police officers murdered 22-year-old Israeli Shalev Zvuluny, in a combined stabbing and shooting attack at the Gush Etzion Junction.
According to PMW, the two terrorists, Mahmoud Abed and Malek Salem, who were killed on the spot, were given the ultimate praise by the P.A. who referred to them as “martyrs”—meaning that they died for Allah.
According to P.A. teachings, the highest level a Muslim can attain is to become a Martyr for Allah.
Itamar Marcus, the founder and director of PMW, told JNS the purpose of the report is to counter the P.A.-E.U. proposals to have the P.A. run Gaza after Hamas, which is going to be one of the major objectives of the French-initiated UN conference at the end of July and is one of Israel’s major challenges now. “This report repudiates that possibility,” he said.
He added, “The entire world is busy discussing what’s going to happen with Gaza the day after Hamas is destroyed. This report completely shows the P.A. is a terrorist supporting entity, and their security services is up to their neck in terror.”
Marcus said that instead of condemning terrorists, the P.A. glorifies them. He said the P.A. proudly produces posters praising PASF members who carry out attacks, with extra praise heaped on those affiliated with both the PASF and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Fatah-affiliated) terrorist group.
“They put the logos of both groups on the posters. A joint PASF/Al-Aqsa attack is viewed as exceptionally special,” he said.
In addition, the report shares that both in 2024 and 2025, the head of PASF General Intelligence Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, gave special cash grants to families of PASF officers imprisoned for terror offenses. “This shows it’s not just a few bad apples,” Marcus said. “It’s coming from the top.”
Both the P.A. and Fatah openly and proudly showcase the terror activities of the PASF members, glorifying these fundamentally conflicting roles with praise: “By day [P.A.] Security Forces, by night self-sacrificing fighters [i.e., terrorists].” [Official Fatah Facebook page, May 25, 2022] says the report.
Marcus said the Israeli government can use the new report to prove that it’s “absolutely ridiculous” to assume the PASF can be tasked with security in Gaza.
At the same time, Marcus has shared his findings with contacts at the U.S. State Department, hoping to influence policy as he said the U.S. is currently funding the PASF.
He explained that while the U.S. Congress Taylor Force Act (2017-2018) prohibits the funding of the P.A. and affiliate organizations if they support, fund, or fail to publicly condemn terror, “somehow they (the State Department) perceive that the PASF is a positive influence,” he said. Marcus said he is still waiting for a State Department response.
In response to the report, Likud MK Dan Illouz told JNS the P.A’s security forces aren’t the solution, rather they’re part of the problem. He said the P.A. funds terror, glorifies terrorists, “and now we see: they commit terror too.”
According to Illouz, handing Gaza to the P.A. after Hamas would be a tragic repeat of the same mistakes. “You don’t fight terror by empowering terrorists in suits,” he said.
Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, told JNS the newly published report once again reveals what the residents of Judea and Samaria have been warning about day after day—it is clear that the Palestinian Authority’s Security Forces are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Ganz said the report shows the deep and evident involvement of these forces in terrorist activities.
“Not only is this not condemned, but it is actually praised by the Palestinian Authority and Fatah, who even financially reward the murderous terrorists,” he said.
Regarding the ‘day after’ in Gaza, Ganz said, “While the heroic IDF soldiers are bravely fighting and paying a heavy price to eliminate Hamas’s reign of terror, the idea of transferring control of the Gaza Strip to security forces that support terrorism is insane, dangerous, and utterly illogical.”
Ganz said that such a move would endanger the achievements Israel is making and would immediately threaten the security of Israeli citizens. He said the P.A. and its security forces are at the heart of the terror problem and cannot be part of the solution in Gaza or anywhere else.
“We, in the Judea and Samaria movement, demand that the Israeli government maintain a strong and clear position: only the State of Israel will be responsible for its security,” he said.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, told JNS that the report proves the P.A. is the instigator and funder of the largest terror enterprise in the Middle East.
He said the P.A. is an organization that pays full salaries to Hamas terrorists, educates children to hate Jews, and encourages murder —not just in words, but also in actions.
“Any attempt to return the Authority to Gaza is a direct threat to the lives of Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers,” said Dagan.
He added, “We must not fall again into the same Oslo mistake. We must not replace Hamas with Fatah, because they are both arms of the same murderous ideology.”
Dagan said that after Hamas is defeated, Gaza must undergo a deep transformation, under Israeli auspices and in partnership with entities that truly believe in the right of the State of Israel to exist.
Yishai Fleisher, international spokesperson for the Jewish community in Hebron, told JNS that Israel has known for a very long time that the P.A. is the problem.
He said the idea that the P.A. would rule in Gaza is absurd, given the fact that the whole problem started by turning Gaza back in 2005 over to the P.A, which was quickly taken over by Hamas.
Fleisher said, “It’s important to understand Hamas and the P.A. are two sides of the same coin.”
He pointed out that the P.A. still funds the Hamas Nukhba terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre.
“The P.A. is a jihadist and corrupt organization. To have them take over Gaza would be to lose the war, admitting defeat,” he said.
He concluded by saying, “Only Israel has to take control over the Gaza Strip. Nobody else is going to be able to do the job for us.”
An IDF spokesperson told JNS to “please refer to the political echelon” for responses.
