Hamas warns West Bank arrests could derail reconciliation
Hamas is accusing the Palestinian security services in the West Bank of continued political arrests against its members despite the reconciliation agreement with Fatah.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas moved Nov. 27 to delay the final transfer of power over the Gaza Strip from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority (PA) by 10 days. Under the reconciliation agreement signed in Egypt on Oct. 12, the PA was to take over the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1.
On Dec. 2, Egyptian intelligence services urgently summoned to Cairo Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and Fatah reconciliation official Azzam al-Ahmad to discuss the obstacles hindering the reconciliation.
On Nov. 18, Hamas had accused the Palestinian Preventive Security (PPS) in the West Bank of ongoing politically motivated arrests of its members. A committee of families of political prisoners in the West Bank documents on Facebook all of the Hamas members and political activists from other parties arrested or summoned for investigations by the PA on a daily basis.
On Oct. 25, following the Oct. 24 rearrest of six Hamas ex-prisoners, the committee denounced the continuing arrests and warned that they may hinder the reconciliation.
