A commander of the Jenin Battalion – affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement – has spoken out against the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing operation in the Jenin refugee camp.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera on Wednesday, the commander accused the PA of acting against the resistance, emphasizing that disarming their fighters is not an option.
The commander also revealed that the Jenin Battalion had reached out to the PA’s security forces in an effort to resolve the escalating situation, but their appeals were dismissed.
“We sent representatives to negotiate and find a solution, but the security services responded arrogantly,” he stated.
He added that the PA’s demand to disarm resistance fighters and its refusal to allow any operations against Israel is unacceptable.
The commander criticized the PA’s political approach over the past three decades, stating that it has failed to produce any meaningful results for the Palestinian cause.
“The Authority has been implementing its political program for 30 years, and it has achieved nothing,” he said, adding that resistance remains the only viable path to confront the Israeli occupation.
The comments came amid violent clashes between the Palestinian Authority’s security forces and resistance fighters in Jenin camp, which has been under siege for 14 consecutive days.
The security campaign, which the PA describes as a crackdown on “outlaws,” has resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians, including field commander Yazid Ja’ayseh and 12-year-old Mohammed Al-Amer, who were killed during confrontations.
The Jenin Battalion rejects the PA’s campaign as an attempt to suppress the Resistance under the guise of restoring law and order.
The commander reiterated that Resistance fighters will not hand over their weapons, asserting that their mission is to defend the camp and its residents against Israeli incursions.
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“We refuse to disarm, and we will not allow anyone to pressure us into abandoning our cause,” the commander said. “Our fight is against the occupation, and we will not betray that principle.”
The remarks stand in sharp contrast to statements made by Palestinian Interior Minister Ziad Hab Al-Rih, who, according to Al-Jazeera, defended the security operation, claiming it aims to align the camp’s youth with the national program and address what he called “inflammatory ideas.”
However, the Jenin Battalion insists that the PA’s actions serve only to weaken the Resistance and align with Israeli interests. “The Authority’s campaign targets us instead of protecting us,” the commander said, accusing the PA of prioritizing political agendas over national unity.
“We will remain steadfast in our position,” the commander concluded, “and we will not allow anyone to extinguish the flame of resistance.”
(PC, AJA)
