Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas’ armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Wednesday that any attempt by the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces in the West Bank to arrest so-called “wanted activists” would be met with violence.
The group’s spokesperson Abu Ubayda released a statement warning the PA against any attempt to “harm” Al-Qassam fighters, threatening that what happened in Qalqiliya could be “repeated everywhere.”
The announcement comes after six people died in a shootout when PA forces attempted to arrest Hamas gunmen in the West Bank city of Qalqiliya on Sunday. The shootout was the worst instance of Hamas-Fatah violence in the West Bank since 2007, when Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier another Hamas spokesman said the movement is likely to pull out of upcoming talks with Fatah over the Qalqiliya deaths.
Spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum told Ma’an, “We are so close to a decision to suspend the dialogue with Fatah. After what happened in Qaliqiliya, it became difficult to go back to the dialogue, especially if Fatah does not change its behavior toward Hamas, release the political prisoners and present something new in the dialogue sessions.”
The next round of Egyptian-mediated negotiations between the Palestinian factions was scheduled for early July in Cairo.