Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ deputy in his ruling Fatah faction has admitted Palestinian Authority security forces were fighting alongside terrorists.
His remarks came after Israeli security forces carried out a raid against the Lion’s Den terror cell, in which five terrorists and the leader of the terror group, Wadi al-Houh, were killed.
The Lion‘s Den terror group is a recent terrorist organization to emerge from the West Bank city of Nablus. It has claimed responsibility for several attacks over recent weeks, including the murder of IDF Staff Sgt. Ido Baruch earlier this month.
The group was also behind a bomb plot at a gas station near the Jewish Kedumim settlement.
According to Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Israeli soldiers were injured during the raid “due to the brave position of the Palestinian security forces,” monitoring group Palestinian Media Watch reported.
All Palestinians, including the P.A. security forces and Fatah’s own terror faction, Tanzim, are “one unit,” Al-Aloul said.
“We speak about all the Palestinians. All the Palestinians are one unit. The Security Forces members, the Tanzim, the public, and everyone—one unit in dealing with this occupation,” said Aloul, referring to Israel.
Al-Aloul’s admission is PA Security Forces and Fatah’s Tanzim terror faction “are one unit” is especially troubling because it means there is no distinction between the US and EU trained and funded PA Security Forces, who are tasked with fighting terror, and the Palestinian terrorists themselves.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, four Lion’s Den operatives, including top commander Mahmoud al-Bana, a top commander within the group, turned themselves over to Palestinian security forces in Nablus, fearing another IDF raid. Bana was injured in a raid by Israeli security forces the night before, and was hoping PA security forces would be able to protect him from Israeli detention.
An Israeli soldier was murdered by a member of the Palestinian Authority’s Intelligence Forces in September.