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Hamas slams Palestinian Authority for 'aligning with Israel' in suppressing West Bank protests

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 26 July 2025 6:53 AM

The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas has condemned the suppression of demonstrations in the West Bank by the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces as an act of alignment with the Israeli regime's acts of aggression.

"This demonstration is the minimum expression of religious and national solidarity of the people of the West Bank with Gaza, and it should not be suppressed and its participants persecuted, but rather it should be supported," Abdul Rahman Shadid, a senior Hamas official, said in a statement.

On Friday, security forces under the Palestinian Authority blocked a protest march in Nablus, located in the northern West Bank, which was organized to demand an end to the starvation crisis in Gaza.

The Hamas official called on the PA security forces to stop suppressing Palestinian freedom fighters and, instead of standing against the people, stand in the line of confrontation with the regime.

Shadid underscored the need to continue holding popular activities and intensifying campaigns in support of Gaza in order to break the siege of the region and stop the Israeli aggression.

This comes as Gaza's Government Media Office announced that at least 122 Palestinians, including 83 children, have died from starvation since Israel's military onslaught began in October 2023, most of them in recent weeks.

Despite global appeals, Israeli authorities continue to block the flow of vital humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. While limited assistance is distributed through US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) centers, Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked Palestinians seeking aid.

According to Gaza's authorities, over 1,000 aid seekers have been killed and more than 5,000 injured by Israeli forces in recent months.

Hamas 'engaged positively' with mediators, US stance 'unexpected'

As ceasefire negotiations continue between Hamas and the Israeli regime, senior Hamas official Taher Al-Nono told Al-Araby that the group has consistently engaged positively with Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

"The reaction we received from the mediators was welcome and praise for the position we presented. Therefore, to hear this stance (from the US) is truly a strange position, and we did not expect something like this, especially given what was reported that negotiations would resume," he noted.

He was referring to US regional envoy Steve Witkoff's announcement that the United States is withdrawing from ceasefire talks, accusing Hamas of not "acting in good faith."

"We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after Hamas's latest response, which clearly indicates a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza," Witkoff posted on social media. "While the mediators have made great efforts, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith."

Al-Nodo underlined that Hamas is "serious about reaching an agreement that ends this war completely and permanently, and also resolves the issue of prisoners held by the resistance."

The issue of prisoners, he said, has not been discussed yet in the Doha negotiations, which continued over the past weeks, adding that "It was supposed to be discussed next week."

Despite ongoing indirect negotiations in Qatar, no agreement has been reached. While Tel Aviv has accused Hamas of delaying the process, the Palestinian group argues it is Israel that has obstructed progress by rejecting key conditions for a sustainable truce.

The occupying entity demands to dismantle Hamas's military and governance infrastructure, while Hamas insists on guarantees for a lasting ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal, and unimpeded flow of desperately-needed humanitarian aid.