Archive: Images from the Middle East: Features: Militants and the Security Forces: The Palestinian Security Forces

The Palestinian Security Forces includes a number of factional groups including the police, the National Security forces, Mohammad Dahlan’s Preventative Security, and the presidential guard Force 17 amongst others.  

The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was an enormous test of the readiness of these troops, as they were given greater responsibilities and allowed access to areas surrounding the settlement walls that were previously off limits in an attempt to stave off attacks on the departing Israelis during the upcoming pullout and Palestinians from entering the vacated settlements.  

They are woefully underpaid, with police often staging armed protests against their own police stations, and undertrained, given only one bullet to practice with during their entire training session. If they want additional practice, they are forced to buy the bullets themselves, often from schoolmates or relatives in militant organizations. 

Summer 2005