It was reported today that Atallah Abu Aliya, the terrorist who carried out the bombing attack on Alon Road about three weeks ago lightly injuring an IDF soldier, served as a Palestinian Authority policeman and was a released prisoner who spent two years in an Israeli jail.
Last Saturday the IDF arrested Abu Aliya and today (Thursday) more details were revealed about his identity. Abu Aliya is a resident of the village of al-Mughayyir who served as an officer in the PA, was arrested on terrorism charges, and carried out the latest attack just two months after his release.
Before his arrest, Abu Aliya served as an officer in the Palestinian security apparatus, but not a word about this key detail - or the fact that he was recently released from a lengthy prison term - was mentioned in the Shin Bet's announcement about his arrest. The only way those details made it into the headlines was thanks to local Arab villagers who distributed his picture in which he is seen wearing the official garb of the PA.
Dramatic rise in PA officers taking part in terrorist attacks
Abu Aliya's case joins a growing line of "reversal" cases that have occurred in recent years, in which members of the Palestinian apparatus carried out terrorist attacks against civilians and IDF forces, among them the attack at the Eli gas station, in which a Palestinian terrorist gunned down two Israelis.
At the beginning of this week, another terrorist was eliminated - this time a PA officer who also opened fire towards IDF forces operating in the PA city of Tulkarm.
About two months ago, the Regavim movement published an alarming report that reveals the involvement of members of the Palestinian Authority's security mechanisms in terrorist activity. Between the years 2021-2023, 44 members of the PA committed terrorist acts against Israelis. Another 25 were detained on terror charges.
It should be mentioned that in the afternoon of the last Arab holiday, locals in the village of al-Mughayyir broadcast a speech by the spokesman of the military wing of Hamas "Abu Obaida" on the occasion of 200 days to the war in Gaza through loudspeakers of the main mosque in the village.
As expected, Abu Obaida's speech dealt with the "victories of the resistance over the Occupation" and called for the war to be extended to Judea and Samaria.