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Fatah Accuses Hamas of Seeking to Seize West Bank

A picture circulated on social media of an explosion in a carpentry shop that exposed Hamas tunnels in Ramallah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A picture circulated on social media of an explosion in a carpentry shop that exposed Hamas tunnels in Ramallah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Fatah Accuses Hamas of Seeking to Seize West Bank

A picture circulated on social media of an explosion in a carpentry shop that exposed Hamas tunnels in Ramallah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A picture circulated on social media of an explosion in a carpentry shop that exposed Hamas tunnels in Ramallah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Fatah accused Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, of trying to control the West Bank, after seizing weapons and explosives in tunnels running under Ramallah.

The seized weapons were a part of a plot by Hamas to undermine the Palestinian Authority, security and order, charged Fatah.

It made the allegations days after an accidental explosion went off at a carpentry shop in Ramallah’s Beitunia, which in turn led to the discovery of tunnels running under it.

In the first official accusation, Fatah said Hamas is pursuing terrorism to seize the West Bank, adding that “the Beitunia tunnels, stockpiled with weapons and explosives, are a vivid example of that.”

Media leaks said the weapons were intended to be used in operations targeting the symbols of the Palestinian Authority and its security headquarters.

Individuals affiliated with Hamas were arrested and put under investigation.

Prior to Fatah’s accusation, there was no official comment from the Palestinian Authority about the explosion.

For its part, Hamas denied its involvement in the alleged plot.

Fatah made its accusations on the 15th anniversary of Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip.

According to Fatah, Hamas’ plots do not end with separating the Gaza Strip from the homeland, but they extend to controlling the West Bank.

Fatah’s strong language with Hamas confirms that it is moving forward in restoring the Gaza Strip to Palestinian national legitimacy.

In 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip by armed force after fighting against rivals that killed hundreds of Palestinians.

All mediation attempts to mend the rift have failed.

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UK Foreign Secretary Visits Syria, Renewing Ties After 14 Years of Conflict

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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UK Foreign Secretary Visits Syria, Renewing Ties After 14 Years of Conflict

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met in Damascus on Saturday with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the restoration of relations after 14 years of tension during Syria's conflict and Assad family rule.

Syria has been improving relations with Western countries following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December in an offensive led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.

Al-Sharaa’s office said Lammy and the president discussed mutual relations and ways of boosting cooperation and the latest regional and international developments. Lammy later met his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, state media reported.

A statement issued by Britain's foreign office said the visit showed London's commitment to support Syria as the new government seeks to rebuild the country's economy, deliver an inclusive political transition and forge a path to justice for the victims of the Assad government.

It added that there will be new UK funding to assist with the removal of Assad-era chemical weapons and provide urgent humanitarian assistance in Syria, to bolster UK and Middle East security and tackle irregular migration. The statement said the British government wants to ensure that the ISIS group's territorial defeat “endures, and they can never resurge.”

ISIS once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq, where it planned attacks worldwide. It was defeated in Syria in March 2019 when the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled.

The statement said Britain's support for Syria is set to continue, with the additional 94.5 million pounds ($129 million) package announced Saturday. It will provide urgent humanitarian aid to Syrians, support Syria’s longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods, and support countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region.

This handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on July 5, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) receiving British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the presidential palace in Baabda. (Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

In April, the British government lifted sanctions against a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and media outlets, to help the country rebuild after Assad's ouster. Weeks earlier, the UK had dropped sanctions against two dozen Syrian businesses, mostly banks and oil companies.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending many American economic sanctions on Syria, following through on a promise he made to al-Sharaa.

Syria’s new leaders have been struggling to rebuild the country’s decimated economy and infrastructure after nearly 14 years of civil war that has killed half a million people. In recent months, al-Sharaa visited oil-rich regional countries and France in May in his first visit to the Europe Union.

Also on Saturday, Lammy met in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and they discussed the situation along the Lebanon-Israel border following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

A statement issued by Aoun's office, quoted the Lebanese leader as telling Lammy that Beirut plans to raise the number of Lebanese troops along the border with Israel to 10,000. Aoun added that the only armed sides on the Lebanese side of the border will be Lebanon's national army and UN peacekeepers.