The Palestinian Authority is under pressure amid growing resistance, the likes of Iran-backed terrorist groups

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is facing a growing challenge in the northern West Bank city of Jenin as it launches an ongoing campaign against local terrorist groups backed by Iran, a group that has sparked violent clashes and highlighted deep tensions between the PA and the region. communities.

“Iran has been funding the military to buy weapons, and now the Palestinian Authority is trying to stop that. They have taken measures to block the money and eliminate the groups. The PA knows that Iran will continue to support Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and this is the challenge they are facing and it is time to face it.” and Iran, especially after the wars in Gaza and Lebanon – the public mood does not accept any military conflict with Israel after what happened,” Mohammad Daraghmeh, Asharq News bureau chief in Ramallah, told Fox News Digital.

The US has reportedly asked Israel for permission to deliver emergency military aid to the PA as it steps up its campaign against terrorist organizations in Jenin, Axios reports. The Biden administration wants to supply PA security forces with ammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, armored vehicles and other essential items, but they need Israel’s approval to proceed. Historically, US aid to the PA has been between $200 million and $300 million per year. In recent years, especially after the Biden administration took office, aid to the PA has resumed, following a freeze during the Trump administration.

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“Since October 7, there has been the rise of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with the great involvement of Iran,” said Dr. Michael Milshtein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University who reiterated the change in the situation since Oct. .7, noting the influence of Iranian-backed forces. “They are trying to push operations in the West Bank, and there have been attempts to make rockets and fire them into Israeli cities from Jenin. Although it is still in the early stages and these efforts are unsuccessful, it is a worrying development that shows how Jenin has become a terrorist base.”

Last weekend, PA security forces killed Yazid Jaysa, the commander of Islamic Jihad, in an operation that intensified tensions in the region. This was the third death in Jenin within a week, following the killing of 19-year-old Rahbi Shalabi during a shootout between PA forces and local militias. The death also fueled discontent in the city, especially among residents of the Jenin refugee camp. “The whole refugee camp is now facing the PA,” Daraghmeh said.

On Sunday, there were reports that the PA had placed its troops outside the refugee camp, but attempts to enter were met. Terrorists inside the camp, many of whom have vowed to fight PA forces, pose a major challenge to PA plans to regain control.

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Palestinian Authority security forces vehicles block a road amid clashes with militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank camp of Jenin on December 15, 2024. It has been more than a week since the northern West Bank city of Jenin has seen intense violence, after the PA, which coordinates security issues with Israel , arrested several militants. (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

“There is no fighting going on right now, but the PA forces are trapped. They tried to enter, but they failed, and now they are trapped outside,” Daraghmeh said. “They won’t be able to leave, but they can’t continue the work, because there are a lot of soldiers ready to deal with them.”

Milshtein, former head of Palestinian affairs for the Israeli Defense Forces’ military intelligence, told Fox News Digital, “The PA does not have the power to enforce control over northern Samaria and the surrounding areas. The PA has lost control of these regions, and as a result, for years, Israel has managed Jenin and the surrounding areas like Gaza – without the means to control the PA, and in fact, there is a real vacuum.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, and President Biden shake hands in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The timing of the PA’s operation is significant, with many observers noting that it coincides with the context of the region, including the ongoing war in Gaza and the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Milshtein believes that events in Syria played a role in the PA’s decision to act. “The people of the West Bank say that when one dictator (PA President Mahmoud Abbas) saw what happened to another (Bashar al-Assad), he decided not to follow the same fate,” explained Milshtein. “Mahmoud Abbas may feel he has to act before the PA’s authority in the West Bank is completely eroded.”

The operation, which is part of a large-scale demolition in the northern West Bank, also reflects the PA’s desire to present itself as a competent authority ahead of political developments in Gaza. The PA has long struggled with its ability to rule Gaza, which it lost to Hamas in 2007. Now, with the region in chaos, he hopes to prove that he can restore peace to the West Bank, saying it will strengthen its legitimacy. in any post-war political situation in Gaza.

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A Palestinian security man fires tear gas at protesters in the central West Bank city of Jenin and its camp on Dec. 16, 2024. (Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“I don’t see the possibility that the PA will control Gaza,” said Milshtein, “there are two million people there. They have been ruled by Hamas for 17 years, and 60% were born after Hamas took over. They were taught to view the PA as partners with Israel and and enemies Giving the PA two hours in Gaza is a known failure from the start.

Despite the violence in Jenin, Daraghmeh does not foresee the conflict spreading. “The people of Ramallah, Hebron and other cities do not want the West Bank to turn into another Gaza,” said Daraghmeh. “The situation in Jenin is there, but it is still a test of the PA’s ability to control its territory.”