Terrorists Connected to Palestinian Security Forces Carry Out Third Attack Within a Month

Latest Developments

The terrorist who opened fire on Israeli school buses and other vehicles on March 28 turned himself in on March 31. The suspect, Abu Rida al-Saadi, is reported to be a member of the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces. An Israeli man and teen were injured in the terror attack, which was partially captured on dashcam footage from the vehicles that came under fire.

The attack followed a February 29 terror assault in which a junior officer of the PA security forces opened fire with an M-16 at a man refueling his car near the Israeli community of Eli. The motorist, in his late 50s, was killed along with a young man in the vehicle. A reservist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eating lunch nearby shot dead the terrorist, who had previously been imprisoned in Israel for security offenses and was released in 2019.

Further, on March 22 a former member of the PA, Mujahid Barakat Mansour, killed an Israeli soldier and wounded seven others by mounting an attack on the road between the Israeli communities of Dolev and Talmon.

Expert Analysis

“As the legitimacy of the government in Ramallah continues to deteriorate, so has the discipline of the Palestinian security forces. Mahmoud Abbas has lost control of pockets of territory of the West Bank, which have devolved into hotbeds of terror, and alarming numbers of his own security forces have turned their weapons on Israelis.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“Recent attacks by Palestinian Authority security forces are not an isolated incident but rather a disturbing trend that has been slowly unfolding since the surge in violence in the West Bank in 2021. These incidents not only highlight the escalating turmoil in the region but also underscore the erosion of the Palestinian Authority’s control over both the northern West Bank and its security forces.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Dozens of PA Security Forces Involved in Terror Against Israelis

Since 2020, dozens of PA security force members have committed terrorist attacks against Israelis. According to a report released by Israeli NGO Regavim in February, Fatah — the ruling party in the West Bank led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas — claimed that Israeli forces “martyred” 41 members of the Palestinian security forces for their role in terror attacks. Israel arrested an additional 25 members of the security forces.

Another organization, Palestinian Media Watch, released a report in January highlighting how PA security force members moonlight as terrorists, with the PA and Fatah promoting their members’ participation in terrorism against Israel. The report documented dozens of attacks by PA security force members on Israeli troops and civilians in recent years. “The terror involvement is not presented by the PA and Fatah as unfortunate exceptions, but rather as the heroic norm. The officers involved are not ostracized, but rather are honored and given military funerals,” the report stated.

Related Analysis

“Palestinian Shoots Up Israeli School Buses and Cars in West Bank’s Jordan Valley,” FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Sniper Kills Israeli Soldier in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief

“Palestinian Cop Murders Two Israelis in West Bank,” FDD Flash Brief

“10 Things to Know About the Palestinian Authority,” FDD Flash Brief