Palestinian Security Services

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The Palestinian Security Services (PSS) are the armed forces and intelligence agencies of the State of Palestine. They include about a dozen branches such as the National Security Forces, Internal Security Forces, Civil Police (the Blue Police), Preventive Security, General Intelligence, and the Presidential Guard. The President of the Palestinian National Authority is the Commander-in-Chief of these forces. The State of Palestine has no regular land army, air force, or navy, and the PSS do not operate heavy weapons like tanks. Training and funding come mainly from the United States and Israel, and the Palestinian Authority has in some years spent a large share of its budget on security.

History and reform
- After the Oslo Accords in 1993, security services expanded quickly. By the mid-1990s there were tens of thousands of security officers.
- In the early 2000s, reform efforts began. From 2003 to 2005, the security apparatus was reorganized, creating a National Security Council to oversee security while the Interior Minister handled civilian duties.
- In 2005, President Mahmoud Abbas pushed further reforms, merging the older divisions and expanding the role of the Interior Minister.
- In 2006, Hamas won elections and, by 2007, took control of Gaza, leading to a split: the West Bank remained under the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah, while Gaza ran its own security forces, including a Hamas-aligned Executive Force. Since then, security control in the two territories has remained divided.

Structure and duties
- The main branches after reforms are the National Security Forces, Internal Security Forces, and General Intelligence. Other major units include the Civil Police, Preventive Security, and Civil Defence. In Gaza, there have been separate arrangements and competing security forces.
- The PSS are tasked with defending the country, maintaining public order, protecting government buildings and judges, and managing internal security and border-related duties.

Budget and manpower
- The PA’s security budget has been large; in 2013 it was about $1 billion, making up roughly a quarter to a third of the PA’s total budget. A large number of public sector jobs are linked to the security services, illustrating how central security is to Palestinian governance.

Human rights and criticisms
- Human rights groups have reported periods of abuse by PA security forces, including arbitrary detentions and, in some cases, torture, especially in the West Bank. Detainees have included Hamas supporters, students, journalists, and activists, with some arrests lasting long periods or occurring without clear charges.
- Security forces have also been involved in dispersing protests and enforcing political lines. There have been accusations that the security system is used to suppress opponents and maintain internal power.

Security cooperation with Israel
- Since the Oslo era, Israel and the Palestinian authorities have shared intelligence and coordinated on security to maintain order in the West Bank and prevent attacks. Israel often praises this cooperation, while critics argue the arrangement mainly serves Israeli security needs and helps enforce the occupation.
- Palestinian leaders have occasionally threatened to end security coordination to pressure Israel, but concrete steps to do so have not consistently followed.

Overall
The Palestinian Security Services remain a powerful and controversial part of Palestinian governance. They are central to maintaining internal security and public order but have faced ongoing criticism for human rights abuses and for being entangled in political rivalries and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.