Officials said the intelligence community asserted that, despite nearly
three years of U.S. training, the PA was not strong enough to recapture the
Gaza Strip from the Hamas regime. The assessment said Hamas was operating a
military that could easily defeat the 25,000-member PA security force.
"The PA does not have the military or intelligence capabilities that
could threaten the Hamas regime," an official said.
Also In This Edition
The assessment was said to have reflected the views of all of the major
intelligence agencies. They included Military Intelligence, Mossad and the
Israel Security Agency.
Officials said the intelligence assessment was requested by Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of U.S.-sponsored peace talks with the PA.
They said Netanyahu as well as other senior Cabinet ministers sought an
assessment of the likelihood that the PA could regain control of the Gaza
Strip, captured by Hamas in 2007.
The intelligence assessment said Hamas would not agree to merge with any
Palestinian state established in the West Bank. Officials said the
intelligence community agreed that Hamas would instead escalate efforts to
destabilize PA rule in the West Bank in the wake of any Israeli withdrawal.
"The chances of a Hamas coup in the West Bank is much greater than the
return of the PA to Gaza," the official said.
ShareThis
