PIJ urges unity and rejects internal conflict amid PA's Jenin campaign

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
29 Dec 2024 00:03

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad calls for national unity and condemns the Palestinian Authority's security actions in Jenin, warning against internal strife that serves only the interests of the Israeli occupation.

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Officers from the PA clutch their guns as Palestinian security forces mount a major raid against militants in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, on December 16, 2024. (AP)

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement confirmed on Saturday that it "will not be drawn into internal strife," despite the security campaign being carried out by Palestinian Authority (PA) forces in the Jenin refugee camp.

In this context, the PIJ called on the Fatah movement to refocus on national unity, urging the PA to immediately halt its security and media campaigns and lift the siege on the Jenin camp.

In a statement, the PIJ emphasized that it has been subjected to a systematic media campaign since the start of the PA's security operations in Jenin, aimed at tarnishing its path, "casting doubt on its national affiliation, and disregarding its noble history and sacrifices." The campaign has even targeted the movement’s leaders and symbols personally.

The statement also mentioned that the Jenin Brigade has endured a "ferocious campaign of arrests, pursuits, and weapons fire, alongside a media and security siege aimed at breaking its resolve," with the goal of provoking internal conflict.

The statement further clarified that this "serves only the Zionist occupation, which seeks to incite division and portray the Palestinian people as engaged in internal fighting, to push its narrative and justify its crimes against Gaza."

Preventing bloodshed

Despite these provocations, PIJ "reaffirms its commitment to avoiding internal discord, adhering to its principles, safeguarding the blood of the Palestinian people, and honoring the sacrifices of martyrs, the wounded, and prisoners." The movement stated that it is fully aware these provocations aim to drag it into an internal conflict, which it will not engage in.

The movement also explained that from the outset, it has put forward multiple initiatives and mediations to spare the people from the horrors of division and prevent bloodshed. However, all such efforts were thwarted, and all doors for peaceful solutions were closed, despite the movement's determination to prioritize wisdom.

As a result, the movement warned that the situation has taken a dangerous turn with the increasing campaigns of repression and mistreatment by the PA's forces against citizens who express opposition to division. It stressed that these actions, which aim to silence voices calling for wisdom and restraint, "constitute a blatant violation of freedom of expression and contradict the sanctity of preserving Palestinian blood."

In this regard, the movement appealed to national leaders and figures from various political and social factions to play their role in preserving Palestinian blood and working toward a solution that defends Palestinian unity.

Addressing the Palestinian people, the movement reiterated its firm commitment to preserving national unity and its resolute rejection of all forms of division, which only serve the occupation.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that the movement "has offered its finest leaders and members in loyalty to the path of Resistance," affirming its commitment to its weapons and Resistance until Palestine is liberated.

Al-Quds Brigades target IOF in Nablus, Jenin amid West Bank incursions

In parallel, the IOF continued their storming of the West Bank this week.

The al-Quds Brigades in Nablus, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, announced that it targeted Israeli occupation forces who invaded the city of Nablus and the Askar camp on Friday morning.

In a statement, the group said it attacked the Israeli occupation's military vehicles in the Roujeib area with heavy gunfire, confirming direct hits.

Meanwhile, the al-Quds Brigade - Jenin Battalion, reported that its members from the engineering unit successfully detonated several anti-personnel and anti-vehicle explosives, targeting invading Israeli infantry soldiers and their vehicles.

Additionally, a young man was injured and three others were detained during the occupation’s invasion of the Askar al-Jadid camp, east of Nablus, and several neighborhoods in the city.

Sources from the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a 20-year-old man was shot in the hand with live ammunition in the Askar al-Jadid camp and was transferred to the hospital for treatment.

According to journalistic sources, Israeli military jeeps and vehicles stormed the Askar al-Jadid camp, firing live bullets, sonic grenades, and smoke grenades, which resulted in the young man’s injury. All entrances to the camp were closed, and medical teams and Civil Defense personnel were prevented from entering.

Israeli military vehicles also raided several neighborhoods in the city, as well as the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, searching homes and causing damage.

Furthermore, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of al-Khader, south of Beit Lahm, on Friday, positioning themselves in areas such as Baloua, the Grand Mosque, and the Gate, where they fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades.

The West Bank has been experiencing daily clashes, particularly since the onset of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, with towns and cities subjected to constant invasions, large-scale arrest campaigns, and casualties among those resisting occupation forces.