The FINANCIAL — TEL AVIV, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has authorized the delivery of a thousand Kalashnikov assault rifles to the security forces of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), an Israeli newspaper said on July 6.
The Jerusalem Post said, citing defense officials, the shipment from an identified supplier is currently being examined by ballistic experts in Israel to enable the Israeli authorities to track the weapons and prevent their use in potential terrorist attacks.
"This is the second major transfer of weapons to the Palestinians approved by Israel in the past year. Fifty BTR-70 armored vehicles, donated by Russia are currently waiting in Jordan for final checks before being transferred to the PNA," the paper said.
The transfer was approved just before Barak's meeting in London on Sunday with U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell.
The U.S. has helped to train four Palestinian security battalions, totaling over 2,000 soldiers. They have been deployed in the West Bank, in Jenin, Hebron, Jericho and Bethlehem.
"Another three battalions are supposed to be added, bringing the number up to 4,000," the Jerusalem Post said.
According to the paper, "the acceptance process for these battalions is extremely selective, since the PNA wants to prevent people affiliated with Hamas from infiltrating the ranks."
The Hamas and Fatah movements, the largest Palestinian political organizations, split in June 2007 when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and pushed the Fatah movement out of the enclave of 1.5 million.
Hamas has since remained in power in Gaza, independent of the officially recognized government of Fatah in the West Bank, which is headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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