The Palestinian Authority has agreed to cooperate with Israel to locate and apprehend six Arab terrorists who escaped from a prison in northern Israel this week, according to a report by a Lebanese newspaper Friday morning.
According to the Beirut-based Al Akhbar, the Palestinian Authority recently agreed to aid Israel’s efforts, and has even begun working with Israeli forces to locate the terrorists.
While the PA has officially refused to take part in Israel’s efforts to capture the escaped terrorists, Friday’s report claimed that two days ago, high-ranking officials in the ruling Fatah party’s central committee held deliberations with Palestinian Authority security top brass, with the two sides ultimately deciding to work with Israel.
The decision to aid Israel was reportedly made amid concerns that a major Israeli operation to retrieve the escaped terrorists could lead to a major escalation in Judea and Samaria and ultimately derail cooperation between Israel and the PA aimed at bolstering the Arab economy in the area.
Over the past few days, Arab rioters have clashed with Israeli security personnel in Judea and Samaria as Israeli forces continue to search for the escaped terrorists.
Top Palestinian Authority officials are especially fearful, the report continued, that the six escaped terrorists could be killed by Israeli forces.
As a condition for its assistance, the PA has reportedly demanded that Israel work to capture the terrorists and refrain from eliminating them if possible.
PA security officials have already held several meetings with Israeli officers to coordinate the manhunt, the report said.
The escaped terrorists include Zakaria Zubeidi, the former Jenin chief of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades terrorist organization, and five terrorists from Islamic Jihad, including Iham Kamamji, who murdered Eliyahu Ashri in 2006.
Other escaped terrorists in the group include Mondal Infia'at, Mahmad A'arida, Mohammad A'arida, Yaqoub Qadari.
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