Military Strength of Palestinian Factions
(Updated May 2007)
Palestinian Authority (Pre-Hamas Takeover of Gaza)
Group |
Base of Operations |
Approximate Fighters |
| Public Security (controlled by Fatah) * |
Gaza & West Bank |
15,000 |
| Preventive Security (controlled by Fatah) * |
Gaza & West Bank |
4,000 |
| Civil Police (controlled by Fatah) * |
Gaza & West Bank |
11,000 |
| General Intelligence (controlled by Fatah)* |
Gaza & West Bank |
5,000 |
| Presidential Security (controlled by Fatah)* |
Gaza & West Bank |
5,000 |
Military Intelligence, Navy Police, Force 17 (controlled by Fatah)* |
Gaza & West Bank |
30,000 |
| Operations Force (controlled by Hamas)* |
Gaza & West Bank |
5,000 |
| Other Forces |
Gaza & West Bank |
1,500 |
Total |
|
76,500 |
Pro-PLO Factions
| Palestinian National Liberation Army/Al Fatah |
Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen |
5,000-8,000 |
| Fatah
Tanzim/Al Aqsa Brigades |
Gaza & West Bank |
Uncertain |
| Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) |
Iraq |
300-400 |
| Arab Liberation Front (ALF) |
Lebanon, Iraq |
300-400 |
| Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) |
Syria, Lebanon |
400-600 |
| Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) |
Syria, Lebanon, Gaza & West Bank |
800 |
| Palestine Popular Struggle Front (PSF) |
Syria |
600-700 |
Anti-PLO Factions
Sources: Anthony H. Cordesman, "Escalating
to Nowhere: The Israeli-Palestinian War — The
Actors in the Conflict: The Palestinian Factions
That Challenge Peace and the Palestinian Authority,"
(DC: CSIS, September 12, 2003), p. 35
*
Data from a table prepared by Danny Rubenstein and Reuters (published in Haaretz Hebrew edition, May 16, 2007) |