TEL AVIV — Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has sought
to form a 10,000-member force trained and equipped by the European Union and
Arab allies.
Israeli sources said Abbas has relayed plans to the United States for
the expansion of the Presidential Guard, loyal to the PA chairman. The
sources said Abbas has asked for Arab and Western support for funding,
weapons and ammunition to increase the Presidential Guard from the current
1,500 officers to 10,000.
"The numbers are new and completely different from what we had been told
only three weeks ago," an Israeli source said.
[On Monday, Israeli authorities captured a would-be suicide bomber near
the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Middle East Newsline reported. Military sources said two
Palestinians on their way to Israel were captured and a bag of explosives
was also recovered.]
In April, Abbas relayed a proposal to the EU and United States to
increase the Presidential Guard to about 2,500 officers. The proposal
stipulated that the force protest Abbas and his aides as well as the border
with Egypt and Jordan.
But the sources said Abbas, with help from U.S. security coordinator
Gen. Keith Dayton, has sought to significantly expand the Presidential Guard
amid clashes with Hamas militias. Over the past week, about 10 people were
killed in daily clashes between forces loyal to Abbas and Hamas.
On May 25, Israel announced its agreement to transfer weapons and
ammunition to the Presidential Guard in the Gaza Strip. At the time,
officials said the transfer would be limited to several hundred rifles.
But over the weekend, Israeli sources said this could be the first of
several arms transfers requested by Abbas. The Israeli daily Haaretz said
Israel has not decided on Abbas's latest request, which he asserted would be
capable of stopping Palestinian missile strikes from the northern Gaza
Strip.
Over the last year, PA security forces under Abbas rose from fewer than
60,000 to about 80,000, the sources said. Most of the officers were deployed
in the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, Abbas began several days of talks with Hamas in an effort to
prevent the emerging militia war in the Gaza Strip. No agreement has been
announced.
