End of Abbas's term may spell violence

IDF Central Command holds drills, anticipating W. Bank violence after PA president steps down in Jan.

By YAAKOV KATZ
Abbas hung over 224.88 (photo credit: AP)
Abbas hung over 224.88
(photo credit: AP)
The IDF Central Command has held a series of exercises in recent weeks to prepare units for possible violence in the West Bank after Mahmoud Abbas's presidential term ends in January. Abbas is scheduled to complete his term on January 9. Under the current Palestinian constitution, without elections he will be succeeded by the speaker or deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Both men are senior members of Hamas. "We need to be ready for every possible scenario," a senior IDF officer said. "We don't know what will happen but Hamas is strong, and if there is be a political vacuum in the PA, Fatah and Hamas could end up fighting against one another - and then against us." Earlier this week, Palestinian media reported that Abbas plans to dissolve the PLC and set up an emergency government which would then extend his term for another year. Due to the IDF's presence in the West Bank, the Israel Security Agency believes that Hamas will not succeed in overthrowing Fatah, but it could launch attacks against Fatah's offices or even try to assassinate some of its leaders. On Thursday evening, an IDF patrol on the Gaza border was targeted by a roadside charge, which exploded but caused no casualties, the army said. Meanwhile, under pressure from US security coordinators to increase cooperation with Palestinian security apparatuses, the IDF Central Command has recently begun involving PA forces in anti-terror operations against Hamas in the West Bank. IDF troops are not operating alongside Palestinian soldiers. However, after they proved their effectiveness in cracking down on Hamas charities and institutions, the IDF is now, in isolated cases, providing PA commanders with intelligence information and asking them to help apprehend terror suspects. In recent years, Israel has refrained from asking Palestinian forces to apprehend terror suspects due to the relatively weak and ineffective PA legal system. Though this system has yet to dramatically improve, the IDF does ask PA forces on occasion to assist in locating and apprehending terrorists.