Fatah accuses Iran of spreading chaos in the occupied West Bank. The group announced on Wednesday that it would oppose any external activity unrelated to the Palestinians.
Fatah, the territory’s main Palestinian faction, accused Iran on Wednesday of trying to foment chaos in the occupied West Bank. The group has said it will oppose any outside action that has nothing to do with the Palestinian cause.
The Fatah movement, which controls the Palestinian Authority, said Fatah “will not allow our sacred cause and the blood of our people to be absorbed”. They also said that any external interference aimed at harming the security forces or national institutions would be met with a strong response.
Israel has long accused Iran of supporting Palestinian armed groups. In particular, Israel has been accused of involvement with the Palestinian armed group Hamas. This group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
Last month, the Israeli military said security forces had intercepted the smuggling of advanced weapons, including anti-tank mines, into the West Bank. However, Iran has not denied supporting Palestinian armed groups in the past. The country has said that whatever support it provides is at the request of the Palestinians.
Fatah’s statement comes as the Palestinian Authority calls on the Security Council to vote on full UN membership this month. And it’s a move that will increase global pressure on Israel for a two-state solution.
Israel originally occupied the West Bank after the 1967 war, and since then the West Bank has been at the center of Israel’s decades-long conflict with the Palestinians. The Palestinians want the region as the heart of their future independent state, which would include the Gaza Strip. And the Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of that state.
