On September 12, it was revealed that American armor and weapons had been brought into the Palestinian Authority from a US base in Jordan, with Israeli approval.
Although the Palestinian side denied this news, Israel confirmed it, while experts ruled out that the agreement “has a real political dimension and that it is an implementation of agreements guaranteeing the “continued existence of the entity of the Palestinian Authority”.
Palestinian Expert: It is necessary for Palestinian security to have armored vehicles, given the proliferation of multiple weapons among Palestinian families, clans and outlaw groups.
Conflicting stories
In an interview with the official Palestinian news agency “Wafa”, Talal Dweikat, spokesperson for the Palestinian security services, denied the validity of the information circulating about these American weapons, while the head of the occupation government Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Palestinian Authority has “received” a number of fortified (armored) vehicles in order to replace them with vehicles. Old fort.
Dweikat explained at the time that “the promotion of this news comes in the context of the incitement campaign against the National Authority and its security services, in conjunction with the incitement campaign against President Mahmoud Abbas.” .
He added: “The National Authority has the right to obtain all the devices and equipment necessary to carry out its normal work, in order to preserve the security of citizens and protect their rights and civil peace.”
He stressed that the National Authority “cannot compromise its political positions in exchange for obtaining what is rightfully itss”, explaining that the Authority and its security services “will continue to deploy efforts that will allow it to protect the capabilities of its people and to protect its citizens.” Palestinian society of chaos and mayhem.
In turn, Netanyahu acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority had received a number of fortified (armored) vehicles in order to replace them with older fortified vehicles, while denying having handed over any weapons or combat equipment to the Authority. modern.
He added: “What we did was implement a decision made by Minister of the Army Benny Gantz (in the Bennett-Lapid government), in January 2022, and deliver a number of fortified vehicles in order to replace them with old fortified vehicles. »
He continued: “That’s what we did, no armored vehicles, no tanks, no Kalashnikov rifles, nothing, so sometimes fake news is not protected either, and it is good to expose this lie. »
Strengthen security services
For his part, Palestinian political expert Jihad Harb believes that the agreement or support “strengthens the security services in the face of challenges in the West Bank.”
He told Anatolia: “There are a large number of armed men in the West Bank, most of whom today are not fighters against the Israeli occupation, but rather the core of the security chaos in a number of areas different. »
He pointed out that most Palestinian security weapons date from the years 1994 and 2007, meaning that they are obsolete weapons and their ability to function is no longer effective.
He explained that the Palestinian Authority’s agreements with Israel “stipulate the provision of such weapons, which means that they constitute an essential part of Palestinian security assistance.”
In this context, the Palestinian expert stressed that “it is necessary for Palestinian security to have armored vehicles, given the proliferation of multiple weapons among Palestinian families, clans and outlaw groups.” .
But on the other hand, he ruled out the existence of any “political agreement behind this aid”, referring to US efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
He added: “Israeli-Saudi normalization is going through difficult stages and faces many obstacles. »
Bisharat: Providing financial and security assistance, including an arms deal, is an attempt to preserve the existence of this Palestinian entity in order to continue its administrative and service function.
Trying to maintain the presence of power
In turn, the director of the Yabous Study Center, Suleiman Bisharat, said that following the Oslo Accords, it was clear that there was an international trend led by the United States “to free from the administrative and military burden linked to the Palestinian question.” , as well as the political burden weighing on the world.
He explained, in an interview with Anadolu, that this trend “was one of the catalysts for the establishment of the Palestinian Authority as an entity that assumes this role.”
He added: “Providing financial and security assistance, including the arms deal in question, is an attempt to preserve the existence of this Palestinian entity so that it can continue its administrative and service function and take direct responsibility for it. »
He stressed that this aid “comes in light of the nature of the transformations on the ground underway in the West Bank, the state of instability and the beginning of the emergence of a state of force parallel to the security force Palestinian forces from these armed formations. .”
Bisharat estimated that security tensions in the West Bank “increase Washington and Israel’s fears of a repeat of the Gaza Strip model,” stressing that if this model occurred in the West Bank “it would have major security repercussions.”
He continued: “I believe that there is an attempt to strengthen the Palestinian security services to prevent the spread or expansion of the pattern of armed groups in the West Bank, and thus threaten the existence of the official establishment of the security. »
Bisharat did not rule out that this support was “a response to Saudi demands aimed at granting Palestinians more rights and the necessary foundations for the establishment of a Palestinian state, in order to begin a normalization process with Israel.”
According to American and Hebrew media, Washington is leading negotiations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv which, it hopes, will lead to the normalization of relations between them.
In recent months, Israeli officials have increasingly talked about the imminent normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh has repeatedly confirmed that this will not happen until a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is reached. not found.
Israeli occupation army targets 3 Hamas observation points in eastern Gaza
Gaza: On Friday evening, fighter jets of the Israeli occupation army bombed 3 Hamas observation points in the eastern Gaza Strip.
Israeli aircraft and artillery bombarded Hamas military observation points east of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, east of Khan Yunis city , south of the Gaza Strip and east of the Al-Bureij camp (center), with no immediate report. of victims.
It should be noted that the Israeli raid took place after protests involving hundreds of young people near the separation barrier.
For its part, the occupying army announced that it had “bombarded three Hamas military points in the Gaza Strip”, according to its spokesperson on the “X” platform.
The spokesperson said that “a drone attacked two military points belonging to the Hamas organization.”
He added: “These military points are in locations adjacent to areas where violent riots and incendiary balloons were launched near the security fence with the Gaza Strip. »
The spokesperson did not clarify in his statement the third point attacked by Israeli planes.
Earlier, the occupying army announced in a statement described as “preliminary” that “the IDF is currently carrying out changes in the Gaza Strip.”
There was no immediate comment from Hamas on the Israeli bombings.
On Friday, 22 Palestinians were injured as occupying forces dispersed protests near the separation barrier in eastern Gaza, according to a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.
It is worth noting that hundreds of Palestinians flocked to the separation barrier to participate in protests called by young men calling themselves “revolutionary youth” on social media, denouncing the settler assault on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and ongoing violations in the West Bank.
He said the young men burned used rubber tires and threw stun grenades near the separation fence.
On the other side of the fence, the occupying army deployed its forces, vehicles and sniper units behind nearby dunes to disperse protests in the eastern areas of the Gaza Strip. Over the past few days, similar protests have taken place in which a Palestinian was martyred and dozens of people were injured and suffocated following their dispersal by occupying forces stationed on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. . 303 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on Sunday to mark the so-called “Hebrew New Year,” and occupation police emptied it of worshipers, according to reports. ‘ announced the Department of Islamic Endowments in Jerusalem, in a press release. brief statement. The Jewish holiday season began last Friday evening, with the “Hebrew New Year” celebration, and continues until October 8. Since last year, the West Bank has been in a state of extreme tension following incursions by the Israeli occupation army into Palestinian towns and camps. .
“Illegitimate” Thousands of Israelis demonstrate against Netanyahu outside United Nations headquarters
Thousands of Israelis and American Jews demonstrated against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday, holding banners reading: “Netanyahu is illegitimate” and “Shame on Netanyahu.” according to Hebrew media.
Thousands of Israelis and American Jews demonstrated Friday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Protesters held banners reading “Netanyahu is illegitimate” and “Shame on Netanyahu,” according to Hebrew media.
The demonstrators are protesting against the package of laws modifying the judicial system. Controversial issues pushed by the Israeli government.
For 37 weeks, Israel has witnessed demonstrations protesting these laws which, according to the opposition, “transform Israel into a dictatorship”.
The protests began shortly before Netanyahu arrived at the United Nations headquarters to deliver his speech to the 78th session of the General Assembly in New York.
The online version of the Hebrew newspaper “Haaretz” said: “Thousands of Israelis and American Jews demonstrate in New York on Friday, ahead of Netanyahu’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly.”
She added: “A group of Netanyahu supporters staged a counter-protest. A barrier separates the two groups.
