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Fatah Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Israel Aims to Dismantle Palestinian Authority

Nuseirat camp, south of the Gaza Strip (EPA)
Nuseirat camp, south of the Gaza Strip (EPA)
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Fatah Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Israel Aims to Dismantle Palestinian Authority

Nuseirat camp, south of the Gaza Strip (EPA)
Nuseirat camp, south of the Gaza Strip (EPA)

Israel assassinated nine Palestinians in an attack on a vehicle near Balata Camp in Nablus in the northern West Bank and a group of young men in Tulkarm Camp.

A drone attack on a vehicle near Balata camp targeted the leader of the al-Aqsa Brigades affiliated with the Fatah movement, Abdullah Abu Shalal, and killed him along with four of his companions.

The Israeli army published a video of the attack, which turned the vehicle into rubble and left charred bodies.

The Israeli military confirmed it carried out an airstrike with the Shin Bet during the Tulkarem raid, saying the cell headed by Abu Shalal was killed near the camp.

Israel claimed the unit was responsible for one of the two largest networks in the Judea and Samaria region of the West Bank.

The statement accused Abu Shalal of being responsible for several operations carried out in the past year, including a shooting attack in Jerusalem, which resulted in the injury of two Israeli citizens.

The army accused Abu Shalal of planting an explosive device against army forces last October, saying he received funding and directions from Iran.

Another drone killed four Palestinians in the Tulkarm camp shortly after the assassination of young men in the Balata camp.

Since Oct. 7, when Hamas carried out the "al-Aqsa Flood" Operation against Israel, the army has stormed most of the camps in the West Bank, killing and arresting Palestinians, and engaging in clashes in Jenin, Tulkarm, Balata, Jalazoun, Askar, Nour Shams, and al-Fara'a.

The Israeli army has deliberately destroyed the roads and infrastructure and demolished homes.

Fatah official Mounir al-Jaghoub described the situation as an open war on the camps in the West Bank and Gaza.

During an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Jagoub said Israel wants to remove the camps because they represent the symbol of Palestinians' return to their land.

The camps remind the people to return to the lands of 1948, said the official, asserting that the war in the West Bank is no less dangerous than the war in Gaza.

Israel has fully barricaded the West Bank, turning it into ghettos after erecting iron gates, roadblocks, and earth mounds. It has also tightened its measures at military checkpoints.

At the beginning of the war, Israel feared the West Bank would turn into a third front. It did not even wait for Palestinian action and attacked with full force.

As of Wednesday, Israel has killed 43 Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of 2024 and 362 since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said Israel's daily killings in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are a comprehensive war of genocide against the Palestinian people.

Abu Rudeina added that the Israeli occupation is trying in various ways to drag the entire region into violence and destruction by continuing its policies of killing, destroying, stealing Palestinian land, and seizing Palestinian funds.

However, a security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that what was happening was similar to an attempt to reoccupy the West Bank.

He warned that Israel engaged in the war to liquidate the Palestinian cause because Tel Aviv believed that the opportunity was ripe for that.

The camps, especially in the northern West Bank, had sparked a new confrontation long before Oct. 7, when gunmen in the Jenin camp formed the Jenin Brigade to confront Israeli forces with weapons.

The clashes in the West Bank are led by young men who are not affiliated with any organizations and have become popular heroes and symbols on social networks.

According to Israel, they are frustrated with the conditions in the West Bank, and they took advantage of the Palestinian Authority's inability to control the situation.

Jagoub believes Israel seeks to dismantle the Authority in Ramallah rather than confront it, saying the war aims to terminate the Oslo agreement.

The official said Tel Aviv aims to portray the PA as powerless and unnecessary and unable to protect its people, hoping to turn Palestinians against it.

They want to dismantle it from within instead of bombing its headquarters, besieging its president, and killing its members, he warned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has several times launched a significant attack on the Authority, describing it as weak and failed, then said it was not fit to rule.

Netanyahu declared that the biggest mistake that Israel made was signing the Oslo Accords.

Several Israeli ministers have echoed Netanyahu's statements, and some of them, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, went further, demanding the displacement of the Palestinians.

However, Defense Minister Yoav Galant opposed the statement, declaring a vital Authority is in Israel's interest and calling for help to maintain stability in the West Bank.

Jagoub mocked Galant's statements, saying the Israeli army is killing Palestinians under the Minister's orders.

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SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi revealed that coordination had been taking place on the ground since the second day of the Deterrence of Aggression operation, waged by the Military Operations Command led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, against the Syrian regime.

He added however that direct negotiations have not been launched with the HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi stressed that the SDF was prepared to merge with new Syrian army, but only after reaching a negotiated agreement on the “suitable framework”.

Moreover, he underlined the need for “Syria to remain a united country.” The shape of its new political system should be decided by the people and constitutional discussions.

*Were you aware of the operations of the Syrian factions before December 27? Did you ever predict that Assad’s regime would fall in ten days?

We had signals that the armed factions were launching a military operation against the former regime. This was expected, but what was not expected was the rapid collapse of the army without putting up a fight. We were also surprised that their allies, who had stood by it throughout the Syrian revolution, were so quick to abandon it. I believe we will find out more in the future about what happened behind the scenes of the operation.

*Was there any coordination or communication with the HTS during those ten days of fighting?

No coordination was taking place with the HTS before the operation. We did get in contact on the second day to avert a clash between our forces in some Aleppo neighborhoods and to evacuate refugees from the Tal Rifaat camps that had been attacked by Türkiye-backed factions. This field coordination is still ongoing.

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a rally in support of the SDF in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

*What will Syria look like after Assad’s collapse? Will you take part in negotiations with the HTS over the shape of the state and its political system?

We have not yet launched direct negotiations with the HTS, but we believe that Syria should be a decentralized democratic state where the country’s diversity will be safeguarded by the constitution and the rights of all segments of society, including the Kurds, will be ensured.

We are not seeking Syria’s division and we are prepared to play our role in building and in partnering with the government that will rule the country. Syria has witnessed a lot of bloodshed. We are urgently calling for comprehensive direct dialogue to pave the way for the era of peace so that Syria can forge ahead and rebuild itself.

*Do the Kurds wants a federal or confederate Syria?

Above all else, it is imperative that Syria remain united. We believe that a lot of discussions will be held over the shape of the ruling system. This will be up to the people to decide and up to the constitutional discussions.

*What are the SDF’s conditions should negotiations be held over the regions controlled by the autonomous administration?

We don’t want to call them conditions, but there are some issues that are imposed by the reality on the ground and that should be taken into consideration. The priority lies in ending the military operations throughout Syria, especially the attacks carried out by Türkiye and its affiliated factions against the SDF. This will allow us, as Syrians, to discuss the future of our country without foreign interference of dictates. The regions controlled by the autonomous administration are Syrian and their representatives should have their voices heard and they should be part of discussions on building the future.

About the country’s resources, they belong to all the Syrian people. We are committed to a future where the resources are fairly and equally distributed by the state to all Syrians so that everyone can enjoy stability and prosperity. Attention must be given to regions that had been marginalized by the Assad regime.

*Leader of the new administration in Damascus Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on all Syrian armed factions to lay down their arms. Some have already done so; what is the SDF’s position on this?

The Syria of the future must have a unified national army that defends the country and its citizens. This is not up for debate. The SDF’s weapons will go to the army and the SDF will merge with the army. However, for this to happen, we need to have direct negotiations to reach a framework over how this can be implemented.

*There are growing Kurdish concerns over the city of Ain al-Arab, or Kobane. What are the SDF’s plans should it be attacked?

The threat by the Türkiye-backed factions against Kobane remains very serious. We are working with our partners in the US-led international coalition to ease the tensions there. That is why we proposed that the region be removed of all weapons. This will ease the concerns that Türkiye has spoken about. Türkiye, however, has not yet responded to this proposal and it continues to amass its forces. The truth is the attack on Kobane will be a disaster and will pose a major threat to the stability of the region. We hope it won’t happen.

*Are there direct or indirect contacts or negotiations with Ankara over the Syrian regions bordering Türkiye?

Indirect contacts are taking place with Türkiye through our partners in the international coalition. However, we want to hold direct negotiations to ease Türkiye’s fears, but Ankara has so far not expressed its readiness for such talks even though we are.

*Regional and international powers have constantly demanded that you sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). What do you say to these demands?

We have previously said that the SDF does not have organizational ties to the PKK. Some of its members have joined us in battles against ISIS. We fought side by side, but they will be removed once the military operations end and once the mechanism to do so is in place. The decision making in northern and eastern Syria has long been in the hands of the people and it will remain so. There are no justifications for these fears.

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

*Will the SDF allow the Syrian members of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan return to Syria?

We are talking about building a national Syrian army, the laying down of arms and merging the factions with the army. If members of the Peshmerga return home from abroad, then they will naturally play a role in building their nation.

*What is your assessment of the threat posed by ISIS in Syria?

Combating ISIS is a priority for the Syrian people and region. The SDF is ready to work with the new Damascus government in operations against the organization and in combating terrorism.

We are committed to ensuring the security of our neighbors. Syria will not pose a threat to their safety and stability. We are prepared to work with the central government to put in place measures that guarantee that no non-Syrian actors will threaten Syria and its neighbors’ security. We are also ready, in principle, to hand over the responsibility of monitoring the border to the Damascus authorities according to an agreed framework.

*Are you planning on visiting Damascus?

Of course. Damascus is our capital, and we will visit it when the conditions are right.