PA Seeks Preventing ‘Third Intifada’ in West Bank

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank last month (Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank last month (Reuters)
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PA Seeks Preventing ‘Third Intifada’ in West Bank

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank last month (Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank last month (Reuters)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is seeking to curb confrontations in Jenin and Nablus from spilling over to other cities in the West Bank. Total chaos erupting in the West Bank threatens to further weaken and undermine the PA.

Palestinian security services raised the level of alert after receiving higher instructions to maintain order in Palestinian cities, camps, and villages in all areas of the West Bank, a well-informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to the source, who requested anonymity, Palestinian orders to tighten security came to prevent the events in Jenin and Nablus from turning into a third intifada.

“The Palestinian leadership does not want to be dragged into the chaos that Israel seeks. It clearly does not want a devastating third intifada,” said the source.

The PA accuses Israel of seeking to rattle the situation further by storming houses in Jenin and Nablus to kill and arrest armed Palestinians and activists. Israeli politicians and military officials who spoke to the media had encouraged expanding confrontations.

Israeli officials argued that the PA was helpless in the West Bank and that militants could launch a third intifada that is stronger and more dangerous on Tel Aviv.

“In Israel, they are using inflammatory speech and encouraging chaos in a clear way,” the source told Asharq-Al-Awsat.

“Israel wants to present the PA as a mere security agent instead of a national project with the goal of establishing the state,” they added.

Not only Israel is seeking to undermine the PA, but also Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and rivals of President Mahmoud Abbas within the Fatah movement.

They are taking advantage of the opportunity to undermine or weaken the PA by financing armed groups in Jenin and Nablus. Moreover, these groups are also inciting Palestinian youth to join the confrontation.



Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
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Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)

Syrian army troops have deployed near the Tishrin Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, setting up military positions in what appears to be a step toward assuming control of the facility from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pro-government broadcaster Syria TV cited an official source on Monday as saying the military had entered the outskirts of the Tishrin Dam area and established military outposts in preparation for a handover of the strategic site.

The dam, located near the city of Manbij, has been under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, which played a key role in the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with the backing of the US-led coalition.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on March 10 aimed at integrating all civil and military institutions of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern and northeastern Syria into the Syrian state.

Syrian authorities, the SDF, and Türkiye had reached an agreement, brokered by the United States, for the transfer of the Tishrin Dam to the Syrian government.

Under the deal, the military will deploy forces around the dam, while teams from Damascus have already begun maintenance and upgrading works on the facility.

The agreement aims to bring an end to the fighting that had erupted between Syrian factions loyal to Türkiye, which have integrated into the Syrian army, and the SDF. The clashes, which had persisted for over three months since December 12, have now subsided.

On Thursday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense announced that Ankara is closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement regarding the handover of the dam.

The deployment of Syrian forces around the dam comes amid reports of renewed tensions in the area, which had been relatively calm for nearly a month. Syria’s state-run Syria TV reported that the military had sent reinforcements to areas previously affected by clashes with the SDF.

Additionally, reports said the SDF and Syrian forces were on alert after Turkish drones launched an attack near the dam, following the death of a fighter from Türkiye-backed factions in the region. The situation continues to evolve as both sides remain on edge in the strategic area.