Five hundred Palestinian Authority officers were deployed in Bethlehem on Sunday, joining approximately 1,000 officers who had already been stationed in the city. The deployment was part of the PA’s plan to take control of major Arab cities in Judea and Samaria. Hundreds of PA troops deployed in Shechem earlier in the year.
PA officials confirmed that the new officers are not a temporary force, and plan to stay in Bethlehem. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to let PA forces import armored vehicles, rifles, and ammunition from Russia.