Fatah still shuns violence — for most part
Fatah doesn't seem inclined to return to violence against Israel as long as President Mahmoud Abbas is in charge, though some members of the faction want to keep the option open.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Even as the potential for volatility rises in the Gaza Strip where Palestinians are destitute and desperate, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank is reiterating its commitment to peaceful resistance to Israel.
Since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took office in 2005, Fatah has taken the route of political diplomacy and peaceful resistance instead of military action. Abbas has dismantled and disarmed Fatah’s military cells in the West Bank.
Even as tension rises in the Israeli-barricaded Gaza Strip and US President Donald Trump has decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Abbas rejects any military action against Israel.
Speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, a Fatah source noted that an armed struggle against Israel would be "a risk with incalculable consequences."
