An investigation by HaKol HaYehudi reveals that senior officers in the ‘Palestinian’ Authority’s military are regularly sent to significant military training programs in China. According to the investigation, the training includes advanced fields such as armor, navigation, sniping, anti-tank warfare, and even maritime operations—indicating an upgrade in their military capabilities.
2+The phenomenon has intensified significantly in recent years, the investigation shows. A key milestone came in 2022, when the head of the PA’s military training body, Major General Mahmoud Haron, met with the Chinese representative. In that meeting, the two explicitly discussed creating new training programs and sending personnel to advanced professional courses.
The investigation presents concrete examples, such as Hassan Taha, a PA officer who recently said he completed a specialized course at the Chinese military academy for armor, focusing on commanding armored companies. Another officer, Musa al-Amour, also recently completed a Chinese language studies course at a military college in China, pointing to the depth of the ties.
2+These training programs in China don’t stand alone—they’re happening alongside a growing number of military drills PA officers are undergoing in other countries, including Turkey and Pakistan. In the past, it was revealed that PA personnel underwent artillery, sniping, parachuting, and armor training in Pakistan, with Israeli security officials claiming at the time they didn’t know about it.
The military training PA officers are receiving raises a significant security question: Could forces that are supposed to cooperate with Israel in maintaining security in Judea and Samaria turn into a threat against it in the future? From Israel’s perspective, the possibility that those now receiving advanced military training—including in armor, sniping, and anti-tank warfare—could one day turn the capabilities they’ve acquired against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians cannot be ignored.
2+Over time, Israel is coming to understand that the scenario of the tables turning isn’t just a theoretical concern. In recent weeks, senior officials in the political establishment have addressed the possibility that PA mechanisms and terror organizations associated with them could turn their weapons against IDF soldiers and communities in Judea and Samaria and along the seam line. Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear that the IDF is preparing for such a scenario, and warned that in the event of an attack, a comprehensive campaign would be launched against the PA, according to an organized plan.
The military preparations also include examining scenarios in which PA forces—accustomed to operating in the area and familiar with IDF methods—would act against Israel from their knowledge of the terrain and security systems. Such a scenario could pose a particularly complex challenge, given the proximity to Israeli communities, the seam line, and major routes. The lessons of October 7 illustrate the price that reliance on prior assumptions about the intentions of an armed force located near communities can exact.