How the PA’s final gamble in Jenin could lead to its demise
Members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces during a funeral for fellow officer Ibrahim Jumaa in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on 23 December 2024
Lubna Masarwa and Huthifa Fayyad writes in Middle East Eye on 8 January 2025:
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has entered a lost battle with its crackdown in Jenin, which will ultimately lead to its demise, analysts and an insider say.
The ongoing campaign against anti-occupation armed groups in the northern West Bank city, which has killed at least 16 Palestinians so far, is doomed to fail regardless of the outcome, a senior Fatah figure told Middle East Eye.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he explained that the PA has been pressured to drop its balance between serving Israel’s security needs and maintaining legitimacy among the Palestinian people.
By attacking Jenin, they have effectively “abandoned their negative neutrality” regarding the Palestinian cause and chosen to side with the Israelis, in exchange for maintaining power, he said.
“If the PA succeeds in Jenin, it will lose its justification for existence among Palestinians, and if it fails, it will lose its justification for existence in relation to Israel,” he added. “Thus, it has lost the battle on both fronts.”
On 5 December, the PA launched a large-scale security campaign in Jenin, which involved besieging the city, shooting at unarmed civilians and clashing with local fighters.
PA forces have killed at least eight Palestinian residents of the city since the launch of the operation, including a father and his son last week. At least six members of the PA security forces have also been killed, including some in exchanges of fire with members of the armed groups.
The PA says the campaign is against “outlaws” and aims to restore “law and order”.
Anti-occupation fighters say their fight against Israel is legitimate.
Dangerous precedent
Though intermittent clashes have been reported, anti-occupation armed groups have repeatedly stated that they are avoiding direct battles with the PA. However, some groups on Monday said their patience was “running out”, including Fatah-affiliated and Hamas fighters.
This is because the PA has pushed people into new territory by making it acceptable for Palestinians to kill one another, a Nablus-based political activist told MEE.