Illustrative – Palestinian police officers seen during a visit of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Jenin, July 12, 2023. (Photo: Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)
Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the terrorist who killed three Israeli police officers on Sunday morning was affiliated with Fatah, the political party of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, and had previously served in his personal security detail.
“The terrorist who was eliminated is Muhannad al-Asud, 31 years old, identified with Fatah, a resident of the village of Idna and in the past he served in the presidential guard as part of the Palestinian security apparatus,” the IDF stated.
Friends and family attend the funeral of Israel Police Chief Inspector Arik Ben Eliyahu, who was killed in a terror attack, September 1, 2024. (Photo: Liron Moldovan/Flash90
In recent months, analysts in Israel have criticized the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), also known as Shin Bet, for their apparent reluctance to explicitly state the affiliation of several terrorists with Fatah. There is speculation that this hesitancy may be due to political pressure.
Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah – Israel’s “peace partner” – proudly announced its murder of three Israelis:
“The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, lead in a wedding procession their heroic fighting Martyr Muhannad Muhammad Al-Assud who carried out the heroic Tarkumia… pic.twitter.com/6SuxV5RiWt
— Pal Media Watch (@palwatch) September 2, 2024
The fact that al-Asud served in the PA’s presidential guard is especially noteworthy, as the shooting attack was carried out with greater-than-usual accuracy.
Most shooting attacks in Judea and Samaria are carried out by untrained youth who miss many of their targets, however, al-Asud opened fire at a vehicle carrying three police officers and killed all three of them.
The presidential guard receives training from U.S. forces, according to Israeli media.
Al-Asud, at first, fled to the Palestinian National Security Headquarters in Hebron, requesting to turn himself in and receive protection, but was refused, according to Israel’s KAN news outlet.
He then fled on foot to an isolated building in Hebron where IDF troops of the Duvdevan commando unit surrounded him.
لحظة قصف الاحتلال المنزل الذي تحصن بداخله منفذ عملية ترقوميا في الخليل pic.twitter.com/Fcic5FkG6Y
— Newpress | نيو برس (@NewpressPs) September 1, 2024
After applying a tactic known as the “pressure cooker,” which involves intensifying fire at the building in an attempt to drive the target out, the gunman was eliminated. Footage on social media showed the soldiers launching a missile toward the building.
While the PA officially cooperates with Israel to maintain security in the areas under its control in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) – primarily Palestinian towns and villages – some members privately engage in terrorist activities.
— Abu Ali Express English (@AbuAliEnglishB1) September 1, 2024
Members of the military wing of Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (AAMB), have been especially active in this regard.
AAMB also claimed responsibility for the failed dual car bomb attacks in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem on Friday night, claiming that the terrorists were part of the brigade. However on Monday, the Hamas terrorist organization also claimed responsibility for the failed attacks.
According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), the relationship between Fatah as a political party and its armed wing is ambivalent.
“To understand the connection between Fatah and the AAMB, a distinction has to be made between ‘official’ Fatah, which is always conflicted because of the need to display ‘resistance’ activities while violating the ground rules agreed on with Israel, and Fatah operatives or security force operatives who ignore the official commitment,” ITIC said.
AAMB members in Gaza took an active part in the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre of Israel’s southern communities near the border. Its operatives, based in Lebanon, are known to work with Iran and its proxies to commit terror acts in Judea and Samaria.
Several local terror brigades that have surfaced in recent years claim to be affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Brigades, despite lacking direct connections to Fatah.
“The operatives have no political affiliation and most of them are young and live in the refugee camps in Jenin and Nablus, some of them with connections to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah. Some of them are high-ranking officers in the PA’s security forces, some have no clear political affiliation, and some are operatives of the Palestinian security forces who have no organizational affiliation,” according to ITIC.
“They see themselves as ‘redeeming’ the PA from its security coordination with Israel.”
