Palestinian officials plan to begin absorbing members of Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades into the Palestinian security forces, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei’ said on Sunday.
Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades is an armed faction linked to the Fatah party.
Palestinian officials said members of the group will be coached in training camps and will then be incorporated into the Palestinian security forces, according to an AP report.
This is Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas’s alternative to American calls and Israelis demands for the disarmament and dismantling of terrorist organizations.
Al-Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades has taken credit for many terror attacks in the past in which Israelis were killed.
For several months lawlessness has prevailed in Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, as armed groups are flexing muscles and have been causing panic and chaos in the streets.
The leadership is seeking to incorporate members of these groups into the security forces, rather than come to blows with them.
In the run-up to the January legislative elections, ‘Abbas does not want to alienate potential voters. Recent polls indicate that a majority of Palestinians, while favoring a period of calm, oppose disarming armed factions.
The plan will be implemented within the next few weeks, Qurei’ said, and will begin in Ramallah and Nablus, both of which are in the West Bank.
According to the AP report, Israeli officials received the news with skepticism and said they will wait to see what happens on the ground.