‘Moderate’ Palestinian Authority Supports Hamas Decision to Keep Israelis Hostage

The IDF announced this week that Capt. Omer Neutra, a US citizen, was confirmed to have been killed on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken hostage to Gaza.

Significantly, the Palestinian Authority (PA) fully supports Hamas’ abduction tactics of October 7.

Ever since Fatah — the PA’s ruling party — kidnapped 8 Israeli soldiers in 1982 and exchanged them for 4,700 terrorist prisoners in 1983, it has talked about hostage-taking as a legitimate tactic.

After Hamas succeeded in exchanging kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,027 imprisoned terrorists in 2011, including then Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas praised them:

Hamas kidnapped a soldier (i.e., Shalit) and managed to keep him for five years — that’s a good thing.” 

[Official PA TV, Oct. 24, 2011]

Similarly, this year on the anniversary of the kidnapping of the 8 soldiers in 1982, the PA/Fatah celebrated and presented Hamas’ kidnapping of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, as an opportunity to free all the terrorists in prison.

Top Fatah official Jibril Rajoub emphasized that Fatah still celebrates the same terror tactics today. Rajoub confirmed that the release of all imprisoned Palestinian terrorists is what the PA/Fatah — just like Hamas — demand in exchange for the release of the Israeli hostages, who were kidnapped by Hamas and other terror organizations on Oct. 7, 2023:

[Fatah] Central Committee Secretary [Jibril Rajoub] demanded that Japan take action on all levels and in all circles to pressure the occupation state (i.e., Israel) to reach a ceasefire agreement and the release of all the captives from both sides.

[Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub, Facebook page, Sept. 3, 2024]

Rajoub invoked this Palestinian “logic” of exchanging all the hostages for all the terrorist prisoners already in June, insisting on “everyone in exchange for everyone”:

Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub: “There are two goals. The first goal is to stop -”

Host: “The [Israeli] aggression.”

Jibril Rajoub: “The second is the prisoner exchange – a prisoner exchange under the logic of everyone in exchange for everyone. I tell everyone: If one [Palestinian] prisoner remains – and I’m certain that the motive for 150% of October 7 is that they [Hamas] want the prisoners (i.e., terrorists) – this is an open wound… Whoever wants to end this issue needs to go for everything in exchange for everything.”

[Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub, Facebook page, June 21, 2024]

Speaking in the name of Abbas following the Shalit exchange deal, Rajoub “saluted” the Hamas kidnappers:

Rajoub: “We salute those who dug the tunnel [to kidnap Gilad Shalit]; we salute those who captured the captive (i.e., Gilad Shalit), and salute those who guarded the captive until this deal was completed.” 

[Official PA TV, Oct. 30, 2011]

While most of the current Israeli hostages are civilians, Rajoub has falsely claimed they “are not hostages” but “soldiers arrested by the Palestinian fighters,” as reported by Palestinian Media Watch:

Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub: “The Palestinian prisoners should be released [in exchange] for the Israeli prisoners who are in the custody of Hamas (i.e., Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7). [We] should have a prisoner of war exchange…”

South African SABC News interviewer: “Israel is demanding an immediate release of those who have been taken hostage by Hamas.”

Jibril Rajoub: “Those are not hostages. Most of those are Israeli soldiers and they were arrested by the Palestinian fighters. The civilians who were at the beginning already have been released.”

[Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub, Facebook page, Feb. 22, 2024]

The currently imprisoned Palestinian terrorists themselves believe they will be released in exchange for Israeli hostages, as is evident from the following statement by a young Fatah prisoner, who was released in the terrorist-hostage exchange deal following October 7:

Released terrorist prisoner: “From the moment the war began [i.e., 2023 Gaza war], we [i.e., imprisoned terrorists] knew that we would be released.

When we were in prison, we weren’t worried because we knew that behind us there are men and the noble people of the Gaza Strip, great guys who can be counted on. There’s no one like the resistance members, may Allah protect them and strengthen them.” [emphasis added]

[“Fateh_Pal65,” X account, Nov. 28, 2023]

Likewise, in November 2023, a PA TV political commentator expressed the expectation that the world would pressure Israel to agree to a hostage exchange for all imprisoned Palestinian terrorists:

Official PA TV political commentator Riyad Helles: “… The pressure will lead to a comprehensive agreement that will include all the prisoners (i.e., Israeli and foreign hostages) who are with the Palestinian resistance and all the [Palestinian] prisoners (i.e., terrorists) in the hands of the Israeli occupation authorities.”

[Official PA TV, Nov. 22, 2023]

In September this year, Fatah celebrated the anniversary of the 1982 hostage-taking as “a great joy,” emphasizing the cleverness of “the plan”:

Awdah TV host: “It was a black night and a great joy when Fatah’s self-sacrificing fighters succeeded in capturing 8 [Israeli] soldiers, which was the first step towards the largest prisoner exchange deal known in Palestinian history.

On Sept. 4, 1982, and with the blessings and guidance of late [PLO Chairman and PA] President Yasser Arafat and Prince of Martyrs and Al-Asifa Forces Deputy General Commander Khalil Al-Wazir ‘Abu Jihad’ (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125), a squad of self-sacrificing fighters set out with Kalashnikovs. When the zero hour came, the commander of the squad, fighter Issa Hajo, set out towards the Israeli patrol claiming he was from the Lebanese Phalanges Party. He spoke with them in French… to divert their attention and make it easier for the rest of his comrades to complete the plan.” [emphasis added]

[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Sept. 4, 2024]

The implication of all these Fatah and Hamas statements is that previous terrorist releases were precedents, and therefore Fatah supports Hamas holding the Israeli hostages until many, if not all, Palestinian terrorists in prison are released in an exchange deal.

The authors are the founder and senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article was originally published.

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