More PA police to carry arms
Israel OK’s deployment of armed Palestinian police officers in towns not under PA control in bid to fight growing anarchy; meanwhile, IDF partially lifts closure on West Bank and Gaza
TEL AVIV - Israel has given its go-ahead for Palestinian police officers to carry arms even in towns not under Palestinian security control. The decision comes in an effort to allow Palestinians to fight local disturbances and growing chaos in the PA.
Under the agreement, Palestinian police officers would be wearing uniforms and carrying arms in specific areas, although overall security responsibility would remain in the hands of the IDF.
The towns in question are Nablus, Jenin, Ramallah, and Qalqiliya. In Hebron, Palestinian officers are only allowed to carry handguns, as a result of their proximity to settlers living in the city.
More work permits issued
Meanwhile, the IDF has partially lifted the closure imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of Memorial Day and Independence Day.
The closure will remain in place in the northern West Bank due to terror alerts.
The closure was imposed Wednesday after security authorities reported they are facing 46 terror warnings.
In the Gaza Strip, the IDF reopened the Erez crossing and issued another 4,500 work permits for Palestinian laborers, bringing the number of Palestinian workers allowed to enter the country to 10,000.
