PA's massive military build-up in West Bank poses October 7-style threat to Israelis, report warns

A new report by Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch for the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs warns that the Palestinian Authority's military build-up in the West Bank poses an unprecedented threat to central Israel, potentially exceeding the scale of the October 7, 2023 attacks. The report states that the PA's armed force is now 10 times larger than the number of terrorists who invaded Israel from Gaza, with an estimated 70,000 "soldiers" possessing tens of thousands of weapons and receiving military training, despite Oslo Accords limitations. Hirsch notes that "the terror army built by the PA is destined to turn its weapons against Israeli citizens." The report highlights that the PA has consistently violated agreements on force size and weapon acquisition, often concealing the true extent of its military capabilities and integrating terrorists into its security forces. It also points out that PA forces have received training in countries hostile to Israel, including Pakistan, and have even been supplied with weapons by Israeli governments. Hirsch recommends immediate actions, including halting arms approvals to the PA, conditioning aid on force reduction, establishing oversight, closing PA military training bases, and preparing the IDF for a West Bank invasion scenario.