Tension between the West Bank refugee camps and the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security services has been escalating since Oct. 21, particularly in the Balata, Jenin and al-Amari camps.

There are several reasons behind the armed clashes that have been occurring in the West Bank camps over the past 10 days. The Palestinian security services have been pursuing individuals wanted in connection to crimes, and they broke up a meeting of Fatah leaders opposed to President Mahmoud Abbas, most notably Tafa al-Bass, held at al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah on Oct. 22.

On the same day, Palestinian news agency al-Quds quoted an anonymous security source as telling the Wafa agency that the dispersal of the meeting followed political instructions from the PA, which believes that Palestinian parties with agendas serving foreign interests were behind it. The sources added the meeting was illegal because it did not get the permit needed to hold it, and the security services could not allow this threat to the rule of law.

Clashes erupt every time the Palestinian security forces break into the camps for security operations. The most recent confrontation occurred in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus on Oct. 21.