Ramallah, West Bank – Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces violently dispersed a demonstration in solidarity with Gaza near Al-Manara Square on Monday, eyewitnesses reported. Several protesters were arrested during the crackdown, Palestine Chronicle reported.
The demonstration followed a general strike across the West Bank, where Palestinians marched to protest Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza and West Bank cities. However, Al-Jazeera reported that PA security forces responded with arrests and forceful suppression.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, denounced the PA’s crackdown, calling it “a dangerous indicator” and accusing the authority of serving Israel’s interests.
“The PA’s arrest campaign against West Bank demonstrators is a stab in the back of our people and our cause,” Hamas stated.
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Islamic Jihad also criticized the PA’s actions, emphasizing the need for Palestinian unity to resist Israeli displacement efforts. Ismail al-Sindawi, the group’s head of National Relations, called the PA’s suppression of protests “unpatriotic” and urged it to support Gaza instead of silencing resistance.
Political analyst Mohammed Ghazi al-Jamal argued that the PA’s repressive approach has eroded its legitimacy, with public support in the West Bank at an all-time low. He suggested that the PA’s alignment with Israeli security policies is a survival strategy.
Ibrahim al-Madhoun, director of the Femed Media Foundation, reinforced these concerns, stating that security coordination between the PA and Israel is systematic. He suggested that the PA actively thwarts solidarity efforts for Gaza at Israel’s request, ensuring the West Bank remains quiet. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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