Senior Hamas official in the West Bank Hussein Abu Queick called on the Palestinian Authority to stop the wave of arrests of the movement’s activists in the West Bank that began a few days ago ahead of the celebrations of the 35th anniversary of the founding of the movement and included arrests from the south of the West Bank to the north.
The security forces of the PA also prevented Hamas operatives from celebrating the events in several places in the West Bank, Hamas officials claim that the measures taken by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces are the most severe measures taken against the movement in the West Bank since 2007 after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and expelled the PA from it.
The arrests made by the PA’s security forces in the city of Hebron, where Hamas has a large presence, were numerous and violent, and in which live bullets and tear gas were used.
Hamas officials claim that the arrests by the PA’s security forces are made in coordination with the Israeli Shin Bet.
The Hamas operatives arrested by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces are released security prisoners who were in custody in an Israeli prison and students at the universities of Bir Zeit in Ramallah and Al-Najah in Nablus.
So far, more than 250 Hamas operatives have been arrested in raids on their homes, another part was summoned for questioning at Palestinian police stations and arrested there.
The Hamas movement, the “Islamic bloc” at Bir Zeit University and human rights organizations have condemned the arrests made by the PA’s security forces.
The PA also continues to hold the Hamas terrorist Mouseb Ishtayeh, one of the leaders of the “Lions Den” terrorist group in Nablus, in custody in Jericho prison for several months, a Palestinian court ordered to release him, but the PA ignores the court’s decision.
PA security officials claim that these are preventive measures to maintain security calm in PA territories and to prevent unnecessary friction between Hamas operatives and IDF soldiers at checkpoints that could result in Palestinian casualties.
Hamas says that the PA fears that the Hamas demonstrators will embarrass it, expose its political and security weakness, and undermine the rule of Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen.
PA Chairman Abu Mazen refuses to fight against the armed terrorist groups in the northern West Bank on the grounds that this may lead to a civil war, but he ordered the PA’s security forces to arrest unarmed political activists of the Hamas organization, he wants to show the US and Israel that the PA is still strong on the ground and fighting against radical Islamic forces that want to take control of the West Bank.
In doing so, he is trying to falsify Israel’s claims that he is not doing enough to fight terrorism.
Hamas officials say that the wave of arrests of activists in the West Bank harms the achievements made in the reconciliation talks in Algeria between the Fatah movement and the other Palestinian factions.
The Palestinian Authority’s security forces succeeded in thwarting most of the attempts by Hamas activists to hold rallies and processions in the West Bank and this is considered an achievement for Abu Mazen.
However, the main problem in the West Bank remains the activity of armed terrorism, security officials in Israel expect an escalation in attacks immediately after the announcement of the new government in Israel.
Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu and the new Minister of Defense will have to re-evaluate the security situation and the way in which terrorism must be stopped because the IDF’s large arrest operation in the West Bank is not effective enough.
The Palestinian Authority is interested in the failure of the new right-wing government in Israel and is not prepared to confront the armed terrorists in the West Bank even though it has the intelligence and operational capabilities to do so.
