Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) pointed out that the violations committed by the Palestinian Authority security forces in Jenin and other areas in the West Bank reflect a serious deterioration in its commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
AOHR UK added that these violations, which include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, and the use of weapons and lethal force against civilians, are part of a criminal policy aimed at suppressing freedoms and implementing the occupation’s agendas.
AOHR UK emphasised that the PA security forces have imposed a tight siege on Jenin camp for twenty-seven days, leaving the camp’s residents suffering from catastrophic humanitarian conditions due to power and water outages and shortages of food and medicine. The siege has disrupted schools and prevented patients from receiving the necessary treatment, including cases requiring special care and artificial respirators, with complete disregard to putting their lives at great risk.
AOHR UK stressed that the security services used excessive force against civilians and opened fire randomly, resulting in the killing of six citizens during its recent attack, including journalist Shaza Al-Sabbagh, who was shot by a sniper while covering the events in Jenin camp. The attack also resulted in wounding dozens, including a child who was seriously injured on December 31, 2024.
AOHR UK added that the Palestinian Authority’s decision to close Al Jazeera’s office and suspend its operations in the West Bank is a blatant attack on press freedom and a systematic attempt to silence dissent and prevent the coverage of grave violations in Palestinian territories. AOHR UK emphasised that this decision serves only the Israeli occupation, which relentlessly seeks to obscure the truth and silence voices that highlight the suffering of Palestinians to the world. By taking such actions, the Palestinian Authority effectively becomes a partner in the occupation’s crimes, misleading public opinion, and covering up the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people.
AOHR UK pointed out that dozens of young men were arrested in brutal ways, which included being dragged on the floor and subjected to physical assault. Among those detained are doctors and health sector workers, as Dr. Qassim Bani Ghara, head of the emergency department at Jenin Governmental Hospital, who was arrested while performing his work.
AOHR UK criticised the PA authorities security services for besieging Jenin camp and continuing to abuse and collectively punish residents in various cities in the West Bank, while the occupation forces continue their war of extermination in the Gaza Strip.
The occupation forces are using the chance to expand the commission of crimes in the cities of the West Bank, as they raid cities and camps and arrest and kill Palestinians without any restrictions. Over the past year, the occupation forces killed 512 people and arrested 8,000 people, including 700 children in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority ignored all calls for dialogue to resolve the crisis in Jenin camp peacefully in order to preserve civil peace and the unity of the Palestinian people during the frenzied attack launched by the occupation forces and settlers against the Palestinians, while it succumbed to the demands of the US administration and the occupation government when they called for the use of force against the Palestinian factions.
AOHR UK called on international donors to assume their moral and humanitarian responsibilities by immediately pressuring the Palestinian Authority to stop its violations against the Palestinian people. Continuing to provide financial support and training to these agencies without setting strict conditions that guarantee respect for human rights and the achievement of justice is clear complicity and participation in the repression.
AOHR UK called for putting conditions on providing any international support to the Palestinian Authority, including the achievement of fundamental reforms by ending political detention and systematic repression of activists and journalists, ensuring the independence of the Palestinian judiciary, and holding those responsible for violations accountable.
AOHR UK held the President of the Authority and the Prime Minister fully responsible for the violations committed by the security services, as the crimes committed by these agencies may expose officials in the Palestinian Authority to prosecution by the International Criminal Court, since Palestine is a member of the court. The organisation also called for an immediate and serious review of the Palestinian Authority’s security policies in order to preserve the rights of the Palestinian people and protect them against the fierce attacks of the occupation.
