(New York Times) Steven Erlanger - Green Hamas flags and banners commemorating "martyrs" hang from the buildings in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank, where Palestinian fighters are displaying a growing militancy, fueled by the war in Gaza. I recently met with a local commander, Muhammad Jaber, 25, who says he and other fighters have switched allegiances from Fatah to more radical groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. More weapons and explosives are being manufactured in the West Bank, according to both the fighters themselves and Israeli military officials. They say the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, which runs parts of the West Bank, is losing ground to the more radical Palestinian factions, which are gaining more support from Iran in the form of cash and weapons smuggled into the territory. The PA and police no longer control these refugee camps, where the militants threaten to shoot officers if they try to enter.
2024-07-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive