Palestinian groups enraged – will violence ensue?
צילום: רויטרס
PA detains more Islamic Jihad members
Arrest raids continue in West Bank; Palestinian groups enraged, threaten to end lull
The Palestinian Authority continued to carry out arrest raids targeting Islamic Jihad members in several locations across the West Bank early Thursday in response to the terror attack in Netanya on Monday, prompting harsh reactions from Palestinian groups.
The arrests continued despite threats that further operations will endanger the relative lull in violence.
The PA concentrated its operations in the town of Tubas near Jenin. More than 10 Islamic jihad members were arrested, according to sources in the organization, and about 40 houses were raided by Palestinian security forces, in a bid to apprehend group members.
The Islamic Jihad said arrests were also reported in the Hebron area and accused the PA of persecuting Palestinian groups, calling on Mahmoud Abbas’ government to cease all detention operations immediately.
"These shame, and would could result from it, must be stopped," a source at the organization said.
The Islamic Jihad also accused the PA of conducting the arrests in coordination with the IDF, and claimed that the list of suspects used by Palestinian police was received from Israel.
Two Palestinian groups, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees, announced on Wednesday they will abandon their commitment to preserving the lull should the PA continues conducting arrests.
The organizations said they will consider ending the calm if arrests do not stop within 48 hours.
It is unacceptable that the PA continues to apprehand Palestinians while the occupation persists, Abu Hamid, an al-Aqsa Brigades commander said.
"We will reconsider our policy regarding the lull if the arrests continue, and if Israel renews the targeted killings, as it has done in Rafah on Wednesday," he added.
Abu-Abir, a spokesperson for the Popular Resistance Committees said the PA must not become an arm of Israeli occupation forces while the IDF continues to kill Palestinians.
"By conducting these arrests, the PA becomes a shield for Israel," he said. "We demand that the PA stop these detentions promptly. The arrests will play a central role in our decision whether to renew the calm. I do not believe we will renew the lull, which officially ends at the end of the year. We have already made it clear to the Egyptian security delegation that under these conditions, the calm will probably not be extended," he concluded.
