Russia to deliver armored vehicles to PA

Armored personnel carriers to combat terrorism in West Bank.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
army vehicle 311 (photo credit: AP [illustrative])
army vehicle 311
(photo credit: AP [illustrative])
Russia will deliver 50 donated armored personnel carriers (APC's) to the Palestinian Authority, according to various media reports Thursday.
Russia offered to deliver the vehicles in 2005, but Israel refused. An agreement was reached in 2008 to send the APC's, which will arrive via Jordan in the next few days.
RELATED:Netanyahu to Lavrov: Pressure HamasRussia to continue ties with Hamas
The BTR-70-model vehicles will arrive stripped of weaponry, and are intended to help Palestinian Authority forces combat terrorism in the West Bank.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday afternoon, and asked him to "put heavy pressure on Hamas."
Netanyahu asked Lavrov to use Russia's ties with the terror organization to help free captive soldier Gilad Schalit.
Lavrov had met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Leiberman earlier Tuesday, who criticized the Russian FM for his country's continued ties to Hamas.