A report published last week by the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center (PIC) claims that the security measures being carried out by the pro-Fatah Palestinian police force are part of a campaign targeting the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. The report, which dubs the force heading this effort the “Abbas-Fayad Apparatuses” in reference to the acting president and prime minister of the Palestinian government, came days after clashes broke out between the Western-backed security force and militants from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the town of Qabatiyeh.
An unidentified officer in the police force is cited as saying that the campaign will target elements of the resistance, namely Hamas and PIJ, in Qabatiya, the city of Jenin, and the nearby Jenin refugee camp. The alleged source indicates that the police force seeks to conduct surveillance of resistance groups in Jenin in an effort to arrest and disarm militants. According to the report, Qabatiyeh has been the scene of previous unsuccessful attempts by the Palestinian police to subdue elements of Hamas and PIJ. The town, known for being a haven for militants, has previously been subject to IDF operations as well. Citing an unidentified resident of the Jenin refugee camp, the report suggests that any operations conducted by the pro-Fatah police force in the camp would constitute a grave transgression given the symbolic value of the camp to the Palestinian resistance.
The report goes on to state that the security force received training in Jordan provided by US and Jordanian forces. This comes after mainstream reports indicated that Palestinian Presidential Guard police officers involved in the Qabatiyeh operation were trained in a US-funded program. The PIC report subsequently cites a Hamas official who claims that the police force is carrying out the orders of the US and Israel in order to defeat the Palestinian resistance. This suggests that such security measures taken by the pro-Fatah force will be portrayed by Hamas as being on behalf of outside interests, rather than that of Palestinian security.
