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INTERNACIONAL

Palestinian Authority under pressure amid rising resistance, popularity of Iran-backed terror groups

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The Palestinian Authority (PA) is facing a growing challenge in the northern West Bank city of Jenin as it launches an ongoing operation against local terror factions supported by Iran, a crackdown that has sparked violent clashes and highlighted the deepening rift between the PA and local communities.

«Iran has been funding militants to buy weapons, and now the Palestinian Authority is acting to stop that. They’ve taken measures to block the money and crack down on the factions. The PA knows Iran will keep supporting Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and this is the challenge they face. It’s the right time to confront Iran, especially after the wars in Gaza and Lebanon- public mood is not welcoming any military confrontation with Israel after what happened,» Mohammad Daraghmeh, Asharq News bureau chief in Ramallah, told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. has reportedly requested Israel’s approval to deliver urgent military assistance to the PA as it intensifies its crackdown on terror organizations in Jenin, Axios reported. The Biden administration is seeking to provide the PA security forces with ammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, armored cars and other essential items, but needs Israel’s consent to proceed. Historically, U.S. assistance to the PA has ranged between $200 million and $300 million annually. In recent years, especially after the Biden administration took office, there has been a resumption of aid to the PA, following a freeze during the Trump administration.

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Mourners shout during the funeral of 19-year-old Rahbi Shalabi, who was killed during clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants a day earlier, in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Dec. 10, 2024. (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

«Since October 7th, there has been an increased push from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with significant Iranian involvement,» said Dr. Michael Milshtein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University who further emphasized the shift in the situation since Oct. 7, noting the influence of Iranian-backed forces. «They’re trying to push operations in the West Bank, and there have been attempts to manufacture rockets and fire them at Israeli cities from Jenin. While it’s still in the early stages and these efforts are unsuccessful, it’s a troubling development that signals how Jenin is evolving into a central hub for terrorists.»

Last weekend, PA security forces killed Yazid Jaysa, an Islamic Jihad commander, in an operation that has intensified tensions in the region. This was the third death in Jenin within a week, following the killing of 19-year-old Rahbi Shalabi during gunfights between PA forces and local militants. The deaths have further fueled the discontent in the city, particularly among residents of the Jenin refugee camp. «The entire refugee camp is now against the PA,» said Daraghmeh.

On Sunday, reports surfaced that the PA had positioned its forces outside the refugee camp, but attempts to enter were met with resistance. The terrorists inside the camp, many of whom have vowed to fight the PA’s forces, pose a significant challenge to the PA’s plans for reasserting control.

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Palestinian Authority security forces vehicles block a road amid clashes with militants in the Jenin camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Dec. 15, 2024. For more than a week, the northern West Bank city of Jenin has seen intense violence, after the PA, which coordinates security matters with Israel, arrested several militants.

Palestinian Authority security forces vehicles block a road amid clashes with militants in the Jenin camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank on Dec. 15, 2024. For more than a week, the northern West Bank city of Jenin has seen intense violence, after the PA, which coordinates security matters with Israel, arrested several militants. (ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

«There’s no active fighting right now, but the PA forces are stuck. They’ve tried to enter, but failed, and now they’re stuck outside,» said Daraghmeh. «They can’t leave, but they can’t continue the operation either, because there are dozens of militants ready to confront them.»

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Milshtein, the former head of Palestinian affairs in Israeli Defense Forces military intelligence, told Fox News Digital, «The PA does not have the ability to enforce control in northern Samaria and the surrounding areas. The PA has lost control of these regions, and for years, Israel has treated Jenin and the surrounding areas like Gaza- without PA control mechanisms, and essentially, there’s a real vacuum.»

Biden, Abbas, US, Palestinians

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, and President Biden shake hands in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The timing of the PA’s operation is significant, with many observers noting that it coincides with the broader regional context, including the ongoing war in Gaza and the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Milshtein believes that the events in Syria played a role in the PA’s decision to act. «People in the West Bank say that when one dictator (PA President Mahmoud Abbas) saw what happened to the other (Bashar al-Assad), he decided he would not follow the same fate,» Milshtein explained. «Mahmoud Abbas likely felt that he needed to act before the PA’s authority in the West Bank completely erodes.»

The operation, which is part of a larger crackdown in the northern West Bank, also reflects the PA’s desire to assert itself as a capable authority ahead of potential political developments in Gaza. The PA has long struggled with its ability to govern Gaza, which it lost to Hamas in 2007. Now, with the region in turmoil, it is hoping to prove that it can restore order in the West Bank, which it argues will bolster its legitimacy in any postwar political scenario for Gaza.

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A Palestinian security man fires tear gas at protesters in the center of the West Bank city of Jenin and its camp on Dec. 16, 2024.

A Palestinian security man fires tear gas at protesters in the center of the West Bank city of Jenin and its camp on Dec. 16, 2024. (Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

«I don’t see a possibility that the PA will control Gaza,» Milshtein said, «There are two million people there. For 17 years, they have been ruled by Hamas, and 60% were born after Hamas took control. They were educated to view the PA as collaborators with Israel and enemies. Giving the PA two hours in Gaza is a known failure from the outset.»

Despite the violence in Jenin, Daraghmeh does not foresee the conflict spreading beyond. «People in Ramallah, Hebron and other cities don’t want the West Bank to turn into another Gaza,» Daraghmeh said. «The situation in Jenin is contained, but it remains a test for the PA’s ability to control its own territory.»


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INTERNACIONAL

Human Rights Watch acusa a Israel de «genocidio» y Médicos sin Fronteras habla de «limpieza étnica» en Gaza

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Human Rights Watch y Médicos Sin Fronteras unieron su voz este jueves y criticaron fuertemente la conducta de Israel en la guerra de Gaza, denunciando «actos de genocidio» o de «limpieza étnica», unas acusaciones que la diplomacia israelí tachó de «mentiras».


«Las autoridades israelíes han creado deliberadamente condiciones de vida que buscan causar la destrucción de una parte de la población de Gaza, privando intencionadamente a los civiles palestinos del enclave de un acceso adecuado al agua, lo que probablemente haya causado miles de muertos», señaló HRW en un comunicado que acompaña un informe.

«Haciendo esto, las autoridades israelíes son responsables del crimen contra la humanidad de exterminio y de actos de genocidio», aseguró la ONG.

Desde el estallido de la guerra con el ataque sin precedentes del movimiento extremista palestino Hamas el 7 de octubre de 2023, Israel ha sido acusado en varias ocasiones de cometer un genocidio en Gaza, tanto por parte de oenegés o por varios países que lo han llevado ante la justicia internacional.

El Ministerio israelí de Relaciones Exteriores rechazó firmemente estas acusaciones y aseguró que el informe está «lleno de mentiras» y acusó a HRW de intentar «promover su propaganda antiisraelí».

Chicos palestinos buscan agua en un campo de desplazados en Deir al-Balah, en la Franja de Gaza, días atrás. Foto: AP


Por su parte, Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF), denunció en un informe «señales evidentes de limpieza étnica, con los palestinos siendo desplazados a la fuerza, quedando atrapados y bombardeados».

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El reporte documenta 41 ataques contra el personal de MSF, incluyendo bombardeos contra establecimientos sanitarios y tiros directos contra convoyes humanitarios. A la vez, subraya el asedio que Israel impone a la Franja, que hizo que la ayuda humanitaria suministrada al territorio palestino se viera fuertemente reducida.

La respuesta de Israel

Al ser preguntado por las acusaciones de HRW, un portavoz militar respondió a AFP que el ejército rechaza «firmemente las acusaciones de que apuntó deliberadamente contra infraestructuras hidráulicas en la Franja de Gaza».


El organismo israelí que supervisa los asuntos civiles en los Territorios Palestinos ocupados, el COGAT, afirma que actualmente hay tres cañerías de agua proveniente de Israel en funcionamiento.


En su informe, HRW juzga que limitar el acceso al agua de los gazatíes denota una voluntad de «exterminio» y constituye «actos de genocidio». Sin embargo, la organización no imputa directamente a Israel un «genocidio», dado que esta acusación requiere demostrar una intención genocida.

Familias palestinan cargan bidones con agua en un campamento para desplazados en Khan Younis, este jueves. Foto: REUTERS   Familias palestinan cargan bidones con agua en un campamento para desplazados en Khan Younis, este jueves. Foto: REUTERS

Pero «la conducta presentada en este informe, así como declaraciones que hacen pensar que ciertos responsables israelíes buscan aniquilar a los palestinos de Gaza, puede señalar esta voluntad», precisa el documento.

«Asedio completo»

HRW recuerda que el entonces ministro de Defensa israelí, Yoav Gallant ordenó un «asedio completo» del territorio palestino desde el 9 de octubre de 2023. «No habrá electricidad ni comida ni agua ni carburante», dijo entonces.

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HRW detalla cómo ha disminuido el suministro de agua debido a la falta de electricidad, esencial para el funcionamiento de las bombas de numerosos pozos de la red de abducción local.


Su informe de casi 200 páginas cita a varios profesionales sanitarios activos en Gaza que afirman que la falta de agua ha provocado decesos al causar o favorecer la aparición de enfermedades, especialmente en lactantes.

Mediante imágenes de satélite, HRW también demuestra que al menos un embalse y otras infraestructuras de distribución de agua han sido destruidas o gravemente dañadas y acusa a Israel de limitar la entrada del material necesario para repararlas.

La escasez de agua y comida se agudiza en la Franja de Gaza. Foto: REUTERSLa escasez de agua y comida se agudiza en la Franja de Gaza. Foto: REUTERS


La organización exige a Israel «garantizar inmediatamente» una cantidad suficiente de agua, carburante y electricidad en la Franja para asegurar el respeto de los derechos fundamentales y llama a la comunidad internacional a «tomar todas las medidas en su poder para impedir que se comete un genocidio en Gaza».

El ataque de Hamas resultó en la muerte de 1.208 personas del lado israelí, según un recuento de la AFP realizado a partir de datos oficiales que incluyen los rehenes muertos en cautiverio en la Franja de Gaza.

La campaña israelí ha causado más de 45.000 muertos en el enclave palestino, según los datos del ministerio de Salud del gobierno de Hamas, que la ONU considera fiables.

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