New footage of Palestinian Authority security forces undergoing military-style training in Jericho has renewed concerns in Israel over the growing capabilities of armed PA units operating in Judea and Samaria.

The footage, highlighted in an Israel Hayom investigation published Tuesday, reportedly shows Palestinian forces training with RPG launchers, heavy machine guns and sniper weapons while conducting combat exercises at training facilities in the Jericho area.

According to the report, some exercises go significantly beyond routine police training and include urban-warfare scenarios and drills involving positions designed to resemble Israeli communities and military installations.

The images have raised questions over the weapons and capabilities being developed by PA security forces and the potential consequences should those forces ever turn their weapons against Israel.

Concerns over RPGs in the hands of PA forces are not entirely new. In December 2024, Israeli defense officials investigated images that appeared to show a Palestinian Authority special-forces operative carrying an RPG launcher. At the time, preliminary Israeli assessments indicated that the weapon had limited operational capability and had not been used during the fighting then underway in Jenin.

The broader issue has increasingly drawn attention in Israel as officials and security figures debate the size, equipment and role of the PA's armed security organizations. The Palestinian security apparatus was established to maintain internal security and public order under agreements between Israel and the Palestinians and has also maintained varying levels of security coordination with Israel over the years.

That relationship makes the issue more complicated than claims circulating on social media suggesting that the footage itself proves the forces are preparing for an attack on Israel. PA security personnel have at times cooperated with Israeli authorities; as recently as December 2025, PA security forces located an Israeli soldier who had illegally entered Jericho and returned him safely to Israeli custody.

The newly publicized training nevertheless adds to an ongoing debate inside Israel over whether increasingly military-style capabilities among PA forces could eventually pose a security threat, particularly given the proximity of Palestinian-controlled areas to Israeli communities and major population centers.

The footage is now likely to intensify calls for Israeli authorities to scrutinize the weapons, training and operational capabilities of PA security forces in Judea and Samaria.