The Palestinian Authority has pushed back against pressure to reverse its decision to end security coordination with Israel, according to reports late Saturday.
According to press reports, officials said the PA decided to stick to the previous decision to no longer cooperate with Israel in response to recent violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
2 View gallery
Nabil Abu Rudeineh to file another complaint with UN security council
(Photo: The Media Line)
The move comes despite pressure from the U.S. administration and others to defuse tensions.
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee, told Voice of Palestine radio that the PA leadership's decision was "to continue to define the relationship with the occupying state, to stop security coordination, not to give in to Israeli threats and to pursue measures aimed at ensuring the protection of our people."
Ramallah announced on January 26 that it was ending security coordination with Israel following the Israeli military’s counterterrorism raid in Jenin, in which 10 Palestinians were killed, including nine armed militants and one civilian.
The decision was announced by PA deputy chief of staff Nabil Abu Rudeineh. "Security coordination with the occupation government no longer exists from now on," in light of the "repeated attacks against our people and the questioning of the agreements signed."
Abu Rudeineh also said the PA intended to file another complaint with the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court regarding the raid. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf earlier called for "de-escalation and calming the situation," stressing that for Washington, security coordination is in the interest of Israel and the PA.
“We believe it is very important that the parties maintain – and if possible, deepen – security coordination,” she said.
Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. media reported that Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressured PA leader Mahmoud Abbas to accept and implement a U.S. security plan aimed at restoring Palestinian Authority control over the towns of Jenin and Nablus.
Reprinted with permission from i24NEWS