GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — As part of a campaign to counter the Israeli government policy of destroying the homes of those who carry out terror attacks, Palestinians are contributing to fundraisers to rebuild houses destroyed since the Oct. 1 outbreak of the unrest in Jerusalem. 

Hassan Khreisheh, second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, believes the fundraising demonstrates the popular social solidarity among citizens. The people felt they had to step up because the PA and other factions have failed to provide financial and political support for the ongoing uprising and have been unable to protect those affected by the Israeli practices, he said.

“The PA’s position regarding the intifada is still unclear. It is still acting neutrally without actually adopting the intifada or the will of the Palestinian people, which ultimately pushed political and social activists to take the initiative,” Khreisheh told Al-Monitor.

Although Israel hopes the demolition policy will help end the current Palestinian unrest, Khreisheh finds that result unlikely, saying, “These repressive actions can only bring further hate among Palestinians toward the occupation, making way for revenge to be sought.”