Palestinian Authority (PA) policeman, Amjad Jaser Sukari, indicated his willingness to kill Israelis on his Facebook page before conducting a terrorist attack on an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) roadblock on Sunday, according to The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report.
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Sukari – a bodyguard for the Palestinian attorney general Ahmed Hanoun - shot and injured three Israeli soldiers at a "VIP roadblock" near Ramallah, devoted solely to senior PA officials. Ensuing IDF fire neutralized the terrorist.
As a 34-year old PA police officer and married father of four children, Sukari did not fit the profile of most terrorists responsible for the recent wave of Palestinian violence against Israelis.
This incident also marked the second time during the latest terrorist campaign that a Palestinian Authority officer shot Israeli soldiers at a roadblock.
Even though Palestinian security cooperation with Israel continues on some level, Palestinian security forces committed to attacking Israelis are capable of higher casualty attacks with access to weapons.
In the last several months, Sukari's Facebook page indicated his willingness to become a martyr like other terrorists who were killed trying to attack Jews. The terrorist expressed his desire to die with increasing frequency into the lead up to the attack. Sukari often evoked both Islamic and nationalist terminology when criticizing the Israeli "occupation."
In one post two hours before the attack, Sukari wrote:
"...Unfortunately I don't see anything worth living for as long as the occupation strangles us and kills our brothers and sisters. Allah, have mercy on our martyrs, heal our wounds and release our prisoners. You [martyrs] are those who came first and we, Allah willing follow in your footsteps."
This case emphasizes the role of social media as an outlet for potential terrorists to express their perceived grievances and intentions to conducting terrorist attacks.
As usual, Palestinians from across the political spectrum praised the attack.
Mahmoud al-'Alul – a senior Fatah official – eulogized Sukari at his funeral, stating that Fatah was proud of "the shaheed Sukari". Sukari's body was also wrapped in the Palestinian and Fatah flags. While Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad also glorified the attack, Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said the attack confirms that nationalist sentiments within the PA security forces indicate growing refusal to coordinate with Israel.
Moreover, one of three Palestinian terrorists responsible for the deadly terrorist attack at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate on Wednesday posted his plans to kill Jews on Facebook last month, according to Israel's Channel 2 and reported by Israel National News.
19-year-old Border Police officer Hadar Cohen succumbed to injuries inflicted during the shooting and stabbing attack.
Another policewoman was critically wounded, while a third Israeli was also injured.
After Israeli police killed the terrorists, pipe bombs were discovered in their possession, indicating that a higher casualty and more sophisticated attack was planned.