Clashes erupted in Jenin, northern West Bank, on Saturday between Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and armed groups, resulting in one fatality. Eyewitnesses and medical sources reported shots and explosions in the city as tensions rose after recent PA operations. The victim, identified by locals as a member of an armed group, was not immediately claimed by any faction. The PA stated it was conducting a “security operation to restore order in Jenin.”
Hamas, currently engaged in a war with Israel, condemned the PA’s actions, while the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) called for a day of protests in response to the operation.
Anwar Rajab, head of the PA’s security forces, celebrated the operation as a victory against the armed groups, but denounced their actions as harmful to Palestinian unity. He criticized the groups as operating outside the national struggle, likening them to ISIS. These events are part of a broader rivalry between Hamas and the PA, which has been marked by violent tensions since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Despite multiple attempts at reconciliation, the divide remains, with the PA continuing its crackdowns on Hamas members in the West Bank.
