A new investigative report by the Regavim Movement warns that the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) function as a “shadow army” capable of posing a major threat to Israel, prompting calls from officials and security experts for an urgent review of the findings.
According to the March 24 report, “The Writing is on the Wall (of Jericho),” the Palestinian Authority is developing what Regavim describes as a “terror army in the heart of the state,” capable of launching a surprise attack on Israel on a scale far greater than the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault.
“At any moment, the Palestinian Authority Security Forces may mobilize against us, and the events of Oct. 7 will seem like a walk in the park in comparison,” Naomi Linder Kahn, director of the International Division of Regavim, told JNS on Tuesday.
According to the report, the PASF has evolved far beyond its intended role as a civilian police force under the 1995 Oslo II framework, which capped its size at 30,000 personnel equipped primarily with light arms for law enforcement duties.
Regavim alleges that the force now numbers approximately 65,000 combat-trained personnel, including individuals with past terror convictions, and possesses weaponry suited for offensive operations, including grenade launchers, machine guns, armored vehicles and armor-piercing munitions.
The report also reveals that P.A. personnel have received advanced military training abroad, including officer and command training in Russia; armored, tank and artillery instruction in Pakistan; and tactical parachuting training in Egypt and Italy.
According to Regavim, training facilities in Jordan and Jericho—described publicly as centers for civilian policing—conduct exercises that include live-fire from high-speed all-terrain motorcycles, urban-warfare drills, and breaching operations involving explosives, capabilities the group says are indicative of preparations for combat rather than law enforcement.
“Every inch of the State of Israel is in danger, and we demand that the State of Israel act swiftly and decisively to prevent the nightmare scenario for which the Palestinian Authority has been training its troops for decades,” Kahn said.
‘A clear and present danger’
Yisrael Ganz, governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, described the report as “a wake-up call,” warning that the PASF represents “a clear and present danger.”
Ganz urged the Israeli government and security establishment to carefully review the findings and ensure that the security of residents in Binyamin, and of all Israeli citizens, relies first and foremost on the Israel Defense Forces operating with full freedom of action throughout Judea and Samaria.
“At the same time, the council is working and will continue to work to strengthen security components in the communities and to increase readiness on the ground, in full coordination with security authorities,” he added.
Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, director of the Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs and former director of military prosecution for Judea and Samaria, told JNS the PASF should be viewed as a fully developed army.
He noted that approximately 6,000 terrorists participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre and warned that what he described as “the P.A. terror army” is significantly larger and better trained.
“If Israel does not take immediate steps to dismantle the terror army, the next massacre, which will be much greater in scale, is just a matter of time,” Hirsch said.
A longtime security official from the Binyamin region, who requested anonymity, suggested the PASF could also be deployed internally by the Palestinian Authority to confront Israeli civilians entering Palestinian Authority-controlled areas following terror attacks.
He warned the findings could signal the potential for widespread escalation in Judea and Samaria, including the possibility of another full-scale intifada.
A Regavim spokesperson added that statements by P.A. officials expressing aspirations to “return” to Israeli cities, including Haifa, Jaffa, Tiberias and Beersheva, undermine the perception of the Palestinian Authority as a moderate partner.
“Relying on the Palestinian Authority as a partner or subcontractor for security in Judea and Samaria, or as a legitimate alternative for the ‘day after’ in Gaza, paves the way for the next disaster,” the spokesperson said. “Israel’s security must rest solely on its own strength and sovereignty.”
