Fatah Accuses Qatar’s Ambassador of Insulting Palestinian Leadership

Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi (C) leaves a press conference at the Dar al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on February 19, 2018. Hospital workers tried to approach Al-Emadi as he left, but were pushed back by Hamas policemen. (AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)
Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi (C) leaves a press conference at the Dar al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on February 19, 2018. Hospital workers tried to approach Al-Emadi as he left, but were pushed back by Hamas policemen. (AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)
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Fatah Accuses Qatar’s Ambassador of Insulting Palestinian Leadership

Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi (C) leaves a press conference at the Dar al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on February 19, 2018. Hospital workers tried to approach Al-Emadi as he left, but were pushed back by Hamas policemen. (AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)
Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi (C) leaves a press conference at the Dar al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on February 19, 2018. Hospital workers tried to approach Al-Emadi as he left, but were pushed back by Hamas policemen. (AFP Photo/Mohammed Abed)

The Fatah Movement accused on Sunday Qatar’s ambassador to Gaza Mohammed al-Emadi of overpassing his humanitarian role in the Gaza Strip by contributing to enhance division and to insult Palestinian leaderships, including President Mahmoud Abbas.

Munir al-Jaghoub, who heads Fatah's Information Department in the Office of Mobilization and Organization, told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that ambassador al-Emadi is the last person entitled to offer advices in the issue of division.

“We don’t take orders or instructions from him or anyone else. We are clearly aware of our role and we are keen on ending the division and returning Gaza to the hands of the Palestinian legitimacy. We will prevent any force to remove it from the limits of our responsibilities,” al-Jaghoub said.

In a meeting held recently with reports in the Gaza Strip, al-Emadi said he told Palestinian President that if he wants to gain a lot of popularity, he should be the president of all Palestinians, by leaving politics behind.

Al-Emadi had also lashed out at the Palestinian Authority and Egypt, saying both sides and Israel are to blame for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

The Qatari ambassador currently resides at Al Matshal hotel in Gaza, where he had booked an entire suite to manage the works of his mission.

His presence pushed a visiting Egyptian security delegation to refuse to stay at the same hotel. Instead, the delegation is staying at a hotel facing Al Matshal.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Fatah said that “the Qatari envoy’s latest comments voice an “incomprehensible and offensive” stance towards the Palestinian Authority.

The Fatah statement also called on al-Emadi to withdraw his comments, which tone with campaigns that aim to strengthen divide and sow divisions among the Palestinians.
“Gaza is a pillar of the Palestinian cause and there is a national responsibility towards it,” the statement added.



Israeli Military Says it Has Killed 250 Hezbollah Fighters in Ground Operation

Smoke and destruction at the site of the airstrike that targeted Hashem Safieddine late Thursday night (AFP)
Smoke and destruction at the site of the airstrike that targeted Hashem Safieddine late Thursday night (AFP)
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Israeli Military Says it Has Killed 250 Hezbollah Fighters in Ground Operation

Smoke and destruction at the site of the airstrike that targeted Hashem Safieddine late Thursday night (AFP)
Smoke and destruction at the site of the airstrike that targeted Hashem Safieddine late Thursday night (AFP)

The Israeli military estimates it has killed around 250 Hezbollah fighters, including a number of battalion and company commanders, since the start of its ground operation in Lebanon earlier this week, a military spokesperson said on Friday, Reuters reported.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the military was still assessing the damage caused by airstrikes in southern Beirut on Thursday night, which he said targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters.

Hezbollah has not publicly provided any death toll.

The southern suburb of Dahiye came under renewed strikes near midnight on Thursday after Israel ordered people to leave their homes in some areas, residents and security sources said.

The air raids targeted Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, rumored successor to its assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah, in an underground bunker, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X, citing three Israeli officials.

Safieddine's fate was not clear, he said.