The site of the terrorist attack at the Hizma checkpoint. Photo: Screenshot.

A Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence officer shot and wounded an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier and Israeli civilian outside Jerusalem on Thursday, according to Ma’an News Agency and reported by The Jerusalem Post.

The terrorist — Mazen Hassan from Abu Dis in eastern Jerusalem — got out of his vehicle at the Hizma checkpoint and began firing at Israeli soldiers. IDF forces returned fire and killed the terrorist.

Past participation among Palestinian Authority security forces in terrorist activities is well documented.

Nevertheless, both Israeli and Palestinian sources revealed that the PA foiled more than 100 stabbing plots targeting Israelis by young Palestinian men and women in recent months, the Times of Israel reports. Security cooperation with the Palestinian security forces and simultaneous promotion of terrorist attacks against Israelis from across the Palestinian political spectrum contributes to a major dilemma facing the Jewish state.

Official Palestinian Authority policy provides monthly payments for convicted terrorists held in Israeli prisons, with longer sentences resulting in increased financing for the terrorist’s family.

In January, a jury in New York saw the document outlining the PA’s policy during a civil trial initiated by American victims of Palestinian terrorist attacks in Israel between 2002 and 2004. Jurors awarded the victims $218.5 million in damages in February. Under US counter-terror laws, that award is tripled to $655 million. The PA is appealing the judgment.

The attacks under scrutiny were conducted by branches of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Palestinian Authority (PA), their employees, or others who received assistance from these organizations.

According to court documents, PA employees convicted of terrorism continued to receive salaries and benefits despite being jailed. According to the 2004 regulation, prisoners serving up to five years in Israeli jails earned 1,300 shekels per month, while inmates in prison for more than 25 years earned 4,000 shekels.

Despite Israeli efforts to bolster the PA to enhance the West Bank’s security situation, the PA under President Mahmoud Abbas’ leadership continues to engage in violent and systematic incitement, fueling the ongoing wave of terrorist attacks targeting Israelis.

Steven Emerson is the Executive Director the Investigative Project on Terrorism (www.investigativeproject.org) where this article first appeared.