Fatah’s Central Committee recently called on the Palestinian public to “answer calls to confront” Israel and to “escalate all the conflict zones . . . throughout our homeland Palestine,” according to a translation of the statement by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Fatah, which heads the Palestinian Authority that governs about 40 percent of the West Bank, issued a statement on Monday celebrating the Hamas terrorists who launched a surprise attack against Israel last weekend. At least 1,200 Israelis and 25 Americans have been killed since Saturday.
The statement suggested the terrorists were confronting “the occupation’s crimes and aggression” and “attacking the enemy.”
“Honorable greetings of appreciation and pride as you accompany the procession of martyrs who performed their duty on the path to freedom, which is now closer than ever. Thanks to your steadfastness, sacrifices and commitment to your land, your Jerusalem, your prisoners, your resistance and your rights, you shorten the life of this despicable occupation,” the statement begins.
“Right now, at this very moment, our Palestinian people is waging an open conflict against this occupation, which has used its racist, bloodthirsty and colonialist mentality, along with its ethnic cleansing and defilement of the holy sites . . . to lead the region to an explosion that we have been warning about for a long time,” the statement added.
Fatah’s Central Committee said it is “the obligation of the Arab countries, our people and the world” to “rally in a real and conscious fashion around the possibility of national unity, in the struggle on the ground, political and diplomatic, with all means possible to us, in order to wage this campaign in a united fashion.”
The statement calls for the “recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, justice, the end of the occupation and the implementation of self-determination is the key to security, peace and stability in the region and the world.”
“No one must think that the Palestinian cause and the rights of our people can be ignored,” it adds.
On Thursday, U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior government officials.
“You may be strong enough to defend yourself on your own. But as long as the U.S. exists, you will never, ever have to,” Blinken said during a joint address to the Israeli people alongside Netanyahu.
Blinken said more U.S. military aid is “on the way” and that the U.S. is working with Israel to secure the release of hostages being held in Gaza. The White House said Wednesday that at least 17 Americans were kidnapped during the attacks and taken to Gaza as hostages.
Blinken is set to visit Jordan on Friday to meet with King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority.