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July 2024 West Bank unrest

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July 2024 West Bank unrest
Part of the Palestinian Authority–West Bank militias conflict and the Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)
Date26–31 July 2024
Location
West Bank, Palestine
Caused by
Methods
  • Marches
  • Rioting
  • Armed fighting
Resulted inInconclusive outcome
  • End of large-scale unrest
  • Relations between the PA and West Bank militants remain hostile
Parties

Palestine Anti-PA groups:

Supported by:
Casualties
InjuriesUnknown
ArrestedAt least 3

The July 2024 West Bank unrest refers to a period of instability in the West Bank lasting from late July to early August of 2024. This marked a significant escalation of violence[2] between the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian militants amid protests in multiple cities. The unrest began over the Palestinian Authority security forces attempting to arrest Tulkarm Brigade leader Abu Shujaa, who was hospitalized inside a hospital in Tulkarm.[1] This incident worsened the existing conflict between the PA and militias, leading to confrontations throughout the West Bank. The unrest gradually subsided by early August with no major change and relations remaining tense.

Background

The Palestinian Authority, which sometimes coordinates security with Israel,[3] is deeply unpopular among most Palestinians,[4][5] who largely view it as ineffective and subjugated to the Israeli occupation[6][7] and instead lend more support to the various militias present in each West Bank city.[8][9] As a result, there has been an armed conflict between the Palestinian Authority and West Bank militias since 2022, with earlier sporadic clashes occurring before the escalation in July 2024. The escalation took place amidst the backdrop of the Gaza war and the related Israeli incursions into the West Bank.

The Tulkarm Brigade is one of the many armed Palestinian militant groups present in the West Bank. The leader of the brigade, Mohammed Jaber, better known by his nom de guerre "Abu Shujaa", is a key figure wanted by the Israeli authorities and had been injured by previous Israeli raids on Tulkarm in December 2023. He was thought to have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces during one of their raids into Tulkarm in April 2024, but later resurfaced attending a funeral for multiple slain Palestinian fighters.[10]

Course of confrontations

Tulkarm

On July 26, 2024, Abu Shujaa, the leader of the Tulkarm Brigade, became hospitalized at the Martyr Dr. Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital in Tulkarm after suffering an injury from an explosive device.[11][12] Soon after, the security forces of the Palestinian Authority encircled the hospital and allegedly tried to arrest Shujaa as part of its crackdown on local militias.[1]

In response, the brigade and other Palestinian militias declared a state of high alert, and targeted the local headquarters of the security forces with heavy gunfire.[1] The Tulkarm Brigade, together with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, issued statements calling for the local population to mobilize and head to the hospital to lift the siege and prevent the arrest of Abu Shujaa.[1][12][13]

Soon after, a large crowd of Palestinian civilians arrived at the hospital to obstruct the PA's arrest operation.[1][14] As a result, clashes between the security forces and West Bank militias broke out in Tulkarm as a crowd of Palestinian civilians arrived at the hospital aiming to break the alleged siege. The Palestine Chronicle published a video from inside the hospital showing protestors confronting security forces, which reportedly deployed tear gas and fired on them, resulting in several wounded.[15] Ultimately, the security forces withdrew from the hospital, and the crowd retrieved Abu Shujaa and escorted him to the Nour Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.[1]

The next day, after the security forces arrested the militant Tariq Balidi, the Tulkarm Brigade demanded that he be released by 10 p.m., and accused the Palestinian Authority of wanting to start a civil war. Demonstrations began at the entrance to the Tulkarm refugee camp.[16] After the deadline passed, the Brigade targeted the government headquarters in Tulkarm with explosives.[17]

Spread to other cities

Jenin

The Jenin Brigades issued a statement condemning and threatening the security forces, stating "if anyone attacks us, we will attack them in kind".[18] Gunmen from the Brigades attacked the Palestinian Authority headquarters in Jenin.[19][20][21]

Tubas

Hours after the end of the alleged siege in Tulkarm, security forces in Tubas attempted to detain a member of the Tubas Brigade, and shot at him. They detained the militant's brother, who was released after an hour. The Tubas Brigade condemned this as an "assassination attempt" and referred to the security forces as puppets of the Shin Bet.[22]

Later that day, a crowd of young protestors blocked roads in Tubas and began clashing with security forces, chanting slogans against them. The Tubas Brigade targeted the local headquarters of the security forces with gunfire.[22]

Bethlehem

A protest march also broke out in Bethlehem against the Palestinian Authority's actions in Tulkarm.[2][22] Protestors clashed with security forces and set fire to the gates of their local headquarters.[22] It was also reported that the security forces beat and arrested a boy who was protesting.[23]

There was also infighting within the security forces, with several personnel arrested, a move sharply criticized by the local Fatah politicians. On the 30th, dozens of Fatah-aligned gunmen who apparently defected from the security forces appeared on the streets of Bethlehem and were seen shooting wildly into the air. These gunmen, who began clashing with security forces, threatened Fatah politicians and demanded their resignations.[24] On the 31st, security forces attempted to arrest militants and were met with protests outside their local headquarters.[7]

Aftermath

By August, the unrest had been "contained", according to Tulkarm officials.[19]

On 3 August, a political committee in Hebron associated with the security forces was reported to have published a declaration condemning West Bank militants and warning that continued animosity towards the Palestinian Authority could result in a violent internal conflict similar to the 2007 Battle of Gaza between Fatah and Hamas.[25]

On 15 August, Hamas condemned the Palestinian Authority for constantly targeting militants, confiscating weapons, dismantling explosives, and interfering with ambushes during Israeli incursions.[26][27]

Reactions

Mustafa Taqataqa, the governor of Tulkarm Governorate, alleged that the security forces intervened only after "a group of individuals" attempted to storm the hospital, and called for all health institutions to be kept out of conflicts.[11]

A contradictory statement was released by Fatah, the Palestinian political party which controls the Authority, claiming that security forces entered the hospital to protect, not arrest, Abu Shujaa after learning of IDF activity at the entrances to Tulkarm, and that the crowd that arrived at the hospital was misguided by "inflammatory rumors".[18]

Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the actions of the security forces, with the latter warning that it threatened the recent unity agreements of the 2024 Beijing Declaration.[14][18]

The Jenin Brigades also condemned the security forces while threatening to retaliate if attacked. The brigade claimed that the security forces had previously attempted a similar siege on a hospital in Jenin during which they assaulted mothers of slain Palestinian fighters.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Palestinian crowd stops PA security forces' arrest of Tulkarm Battalion commander". Middle East Monitor. 27 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "اشتباكات بين مسلحين وأجهزة أمن السلطة الفلسطينية في الضفة الغربية .. بذور حرب أهلية؟" [Clashes between militants and Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank...the seeds of a civil war?]. مونت كارلو الدولية / MCD (in Arabic). 27 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Palestinian security force kills Islamic Jihad gunman in rare internal clash". The Times of Israel. 2 May 2024.
  4. ^ Ackerman, Daniel (6 March 2024). "10 Things to Know About the Palestinian Authority". FDD. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  5. ^ "The Palestinian Authority is promising change. Many Palestinians say it's not enough". NPR. 28 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Who Governs the Palestinians? | Council on Foreign Relations". www.cfr.org. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b "ثورة الضفة تعلن موت السلطة" [The West Bank revolution announces the death of the Authority]. Shahed.cc (in Arabic). 31 July 2024. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Poll: 72% of Palestinians support terror groups like Lions' Den". JNS. 14 December 2022.
  9. ^ "The Resurgence of Armed Groups in the West Bank and Their Connections to Gaza". ACLED. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Palestinian commander thought to be dead resurfaces in West Bank funeral". The New Arab. 22 April 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Tulkarm Governor clarifies incident between Palestinian security forces and resistance". Roya News. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Palestinian security forces surround brigades at Tulkarm hospital". Roya News. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  13. ^ "شاهد.. استقبال حافل "لأبو شجاع" بعد فك الحصار عنه" [Watch: A grand reception for "Abu Shuja" after the siege was lifted] (in Arabic). Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Hamas: PA apparatus behavior in pursuing resisters has reached its most dangerous stage". www.saba.ye. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  15. ^ admin (26 July 2024). "In Dramatic Scene - Palestinians Free Fighter Besieged by PA Police in West Bank (VIDEOS)". Palestine Chronicle. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  16. ^ "شبكة قدس الإخبارية | كتيبة طولكرم تمهل السلطة الفلسطينية للإفراج عن أحد مقاوميها" [Tulkarm Battalion gives the Palestinian Authority a deadline to release one of its fighters]. موقع نبض / Quds News Network (in Arabic). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  17. ^ "إلقاء قنابل محلية الصنع تجاه مقر المقاطعة في طولكرم؛ بعد انتهاء مهلة كتيبة مخيم طولكرم للسلطة الفلسطينية بالإفراج عن المطارد طارق البليدي عقب اعتقاله والاستيلاء على سلاحه" [Homemade bombs were thrown at the district headquarters in Tulkarm after the Tulkarm camp battalion's deadline to the Palestinian Authority to release wanted man Tariq al-Balidi expired following his arrest and the confiscation of his weapon]. Mourasel News (in Arabic). 29 July 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d "Palestinian fighters threaten PA security services after Tulkarm hospital incident". The New Arab. 27 July 2024.
  19. ^ a b Adler, Jonathan (14 August 2024). "In Jenin and Tulkarem, Israel's war on Palestinian armed resistance is failing". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  20. ^ "بعد محاصرته من الأجهزة الأمنية.. أهالي طولكرم يحررون القيادي أبو شجاع" [After being surrounded by security forces, Tulkarm residents free leader Abu Shujaa]. Al Araby. 26 July 2024.
  21. ^ Khoury, Jack (26 July 2024). "Palestinian Authority Fails to Arrest Top Islamic Jihad Official in West Bank". Haaretz.
  22. ^ a b c d "آخرهم أبو شجاع.. قصص السلطة مع مقاومين تطاردهم إسرائيل" [The last of them was Abu Shujaa... the stories of the authorities with resistance fighters pursued by Israel] (in Arabic). Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  23. ^ "أمن السلطة يقمع مسيرة ببيت لحم ضد ملاحقة مقاومي الضفة" [Palestinian Authority security forces suppress a march in Bethlehem against the persecution of West Bank resistance fighters]. Shahed.cc (in Arabic). 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  24. ^ "اشتباكات عنيفة بين فتح بيت لحم وأمن السلطة والإقليم يهدد بالاستقالة" [Violent clashes between Fatah in Bethlehem and the Palestinian Authority's security forces, and the region threatens to resign]. Shahed.cc (in Arabic). 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  25. ^ "تحريض ودعوة للحرب الأهلية.. هيئة التوجيه في الخليل تدعو عناصر الأمن لقتل المقاومين" [Incitement and a call for civil war... The Guidance Authority in Hebron calls on security forces to kill resistance fighters]. Shahed.cc (in Arabic). 3 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Hamas blasts PA for blocking attack on Israeli troops in West Bank". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  27. ^ Pacchiani, Gianluca (15 August 2024). "Hamas blasts PA after its forces allegedly detonated explosive device before it could blow up IDF troops in Jenin". The Times of Israel.
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